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What it means to be a real hero
To the editor:
"HERO":
"One who shows great courage."
"A man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds or noble qualities."
"A man admired for his achievements and noble qualities."
"Someone regarded as a role model or ideal"
You can find definitions of a hero anywhere you want to look, but examples are harder to find sometimes. For me, my first hero was Walter C. Collier Sr., my dad. He was a soft-spoken man, but that hid a strength that always impressed me. When I was young, it scared me! He demanded respect. Respect for him, respect for Mom, respect for teachers and Scout leaders, respect for others. Dad served over 22 years in the military. He started out in the National Guard at a young age, Company M, 153rd infantry out of Blytheville, Arkansas. They were sent to protect the Aleutian Islands from a war everyone knew was coming. The bonds they all formed lasted them the rest of their lives. After they came back, he joined the Army and later the Army Air Corp. When they started the Air Force as a separate branch, he transferred to it. Dad didn't talk much about his service, as was the custom of a lot of men from his time. They didn't want to brag. I do know, that to give 22 years of your life in service to your country makes you a hero, no matter what you did in the service or where you served.
Later, as I grew up, I started to notice little things about him. Now we didn't have a whole lot back then, but most people didn't. We weren't poor, but we were lower middle class. Dad worked two jobs. He worked for Mo-Ark Communication by day, and repaired radios and televisions at night. (Yes, they used to be able to fix them.) I have seen him fix things for people and only charge what I knew he had spent for parts. When I asked him about it, he just said that we had more than they did. Anytime he knew of a need, and he could fill it, he did just that. I wish I was half the man he was.
Now heroes don't always start out that way. Sometimes they must come a long way. I know of a man that, from what I was told, was a tower of a man. He was a man's man. My uncle told me that he could hold a case of sodas in each hand straight out for as long as he wanted. Not aluminum cans mind you, but glass bottles, 24 of them in each case. He was a Marine, wounded on Iwo Jima. He also drank.
He was involved in a wreck that took the life of one or two people. I am not real sure of the details. The story goes that he prayed to God that if he was allowed to live, he would live for Him and work with kids. He did just exactly that for the rest of his life. His name was Billy Meharg, and he was from Blytheville. He was never perfect, but he did the best he could and made a big difference in my life and the lives of countless other boys in Scouting.
I have had other heroes as well. My Scoutmaster Jim Strickland, my uncles, a police officer named Jim Sell from Blytheville, that moved off and ultimately gave his life in service to society. Soldiers, in general, who serve anywhere they are needed to make us safe. Policemen, in general, for the same reason.
I have had a lot of teachers that took extra time with me. Thank you so much! As I write this, Coach Alvin Clay comes to mind. He is a big man that took no stuff off of anyone, but had a gentle side as well. He didn't have to be hateful to be firm. Thanks, Coach.
I also had the distinct pleasure to serve for 15 years with a fine bunch of volunteer firefighters at Armorel. Now, I have respect for all firefighters. Those that chose it as a career as well as those that volunteer just to make the community safer. None of them are as appreciated as they should be. They are all heroes!
Volunteers, in most cases, do not have as good equipment as paid departments. They have to spend part of their time raising the money to purchase what they need. Some of them do not have as much training because they work full-time jobs. What they do have is a heart for the community they live in. People that do not understand them, make fun of them. People that sit on their rear ends, and do nothing for the community, do not even want to send them a small check to help get the equipment they need. They would rather tell jokes and make fun. But in spite of this, when they need help, they are the first to call. The firemen just come and risk their lives anyway. How many of you have ever helped one person that made fun of you and acted like they could not stand you?
Now I didn't really start out to make such a short story this long. I sat down here to share just a few fond memories of my dear father. God, I miss him, and the kind of man he was. He is my definition of a hero. He just did what he could -- that's all. We need more men like him.
Stand up, men. Make this a better place for your children. Be a hero!