A hero is a person admired for his or her achievements and qualities. During World War II, the 82^nd Airborne Division was filled with heroes. Because it was so long ago, not many of us remember the members of that famous division, filled with ordinary men who performed gallantly under extraordinary circumstances.

Fortunately, I become acquainted with Duke who served in the 82^nd Airborne during WW II. He didn’t talk much about himself and never talked about his experiences in WW II unless I insisted, and then he’d only talk about them reluctantly.

Before I tell you about Duke, let me tell you more about his outfit which fought so hard amidst the horrors of war. They endured the rugged, physical conditioning of boot camp and went through the extra training needed before parachuting out of airplanes. They fought in many campaigns during the war.

The 82^nd Airborne jumped into Normandy in the early morning hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944. They fought their way across France against a battle-hardened German army. They jumped into Holland during the ill-fated attempt to capture a bridge too far. After regrouping and refitting, the 82^nd was rushed to the front lines during the Battle of the Bulge in Belgium where many became prisoners of war when they were surrounded.

It not uncommon for the men and women who served in the armed forces during WW II not to talk about their wartime experiences. War is horrifying, and many WW II veterans dealt with the horror they saw by suppressing it deep within themselves.

Duke was no different; he never talked much about his wartime experiences. Even when he told me he served in the 82^nd Airborne he didn’t elaborate much. Later, as I learned more about his outfit, I wished I had asked him more about his experiences.

I did ask him if he fought in the Battle of the Bulge and he told me he had. I knew that many in his outfit had been taken prisoner and I asked if he had been, but he didn’t answer. I assumed from his silence that he had been taken prisoner and that he didn’t want to talk about it.

I wished I’d asked him about jumping into Normandy on D-Day when the 82^nd Airborne captured a small but important French town named Ste.-Mere-Eglise. It’s often referred to as the place where the liberation of Europe began. His outfit had a splendid record for their accomplishments in France. Jumping behind enemy lines and fighting off fierce German counterattacks is the stuff of heroes.

“I wasn’t a hero,” he told me once, “and don’t make me out to be.” I didn’t know how to respond to him.

Years later after reading about the accomplishments of so many during the War, especially after learning more about the 82^nd Airborne, I wished I had told him this. “You may or may not have been a hero, but you served in an army of men and women who were.” Duke, this one’s for you and for your buddies who served in the 82^nd.

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