Where Are Yesterday's Hero's?

At a time so distant where ordinary men were called upon to do extraordinary things heroes were born. It was at the turn of the 20th century that Theodore Roosevelt rode into the history books. During the First World War Black Jack Perishing and Sergeant York galloped into American consciousness. Then came yet another great war where Audie Murphy, Eisenhower, Patton, MacArthur, FDR, and so many others whose heroic exploits and decisions made it possible for the world to emerge from unimaginable evil and horror. In doing so they captured the imagination of generations.

It is through heroic deeds of man that have always set in motion the inspiration for others to emulate the characteristics of those who have done extraordinary things. Whether they have saved the world from destruction or have invented the marvels of technology. The heroes of my youth were a breed apart. They were clearly defined. After all we have come to know them as wearing the white hats of goodness and virtue. The evil intentions of others as depicted and so often associated with black hats and attire was clearly visible. Many a generation came to understand the good that came about from the heroic acts of not only actual events but fictional characters as well.

Yesterdays heroes of movies and television where so many especially the youth visualized in imagination that they too could do extraordinary heroic deeds. If it wasn't for the heroes of yesterday many of the worlds great inventions would never have been realized. If it wasn't for yesterdays heroes the world would be a much darker more inhospitable world today. Many of the baby boomer generation can remember that those early Saturday mornings when TV was young the heroes we so often saw defined our generation. There was Captain Midnight, Sky King, The Lone Ranger, and even Roy Rogers. Ask any baby boomer today those yesterdays heroes inspired a nation.

Today, where the world is more convoluted and complex where there are more gray areas than ever before one has to ask, where are yesterdays heroes? To most the answer is that they can be found on so many movie screens in all those action adventure movies where on can escape maybe just for a couple of hours the harsh reality lying in wait just outside. Even today with the world actually facing evil adversaries a yesterday hero even they do exist society as a whole has yet to embrace and thrust them into the consciousness of the world.

When we really need a yesterdays hero to gallop into the hearts and minds of man to save the day a yesterday hero has yet to appear and rally a nation that is floundering and can't seem to find it way. Could it be that yesterday's heroes are as out dated as the rotary telephones? Could it be that a yesterday hero where like in the opening of Superman comes to fight for truth, justice and the American way has become just as obsolete as the American way? Are we as a nation so lost in our own self absorbency that we forget that a yesterday hero like in the past has not only inspired a nation to greatness but helped preserve the future for other generations?

It is these other generations that followed has yet to focus on the already heroic acts by an actual yesterday hero that has done extraordinary deeds in this the 21st century. It is so sad to say that a yesterday hero is not as relevant to our society today as they were in the past. It is up to all of us to recognize that yesterdays heroes are alive and doing extraordinary feats each and every day.