Four Star General Norman Schwarzkopf is one of America’s most vaunted military leaders and a true hero. As commander of the United States Central Command, he orchestrated and led the quick and decisive defeat of one of the world’s most notorious villains, Saddam Hussein, during the Gulf War in 1990.
“Stormin’ Norman,” as he was known by his men, was a tough and valiant warrior, having served in the Vietnam War as a battalion commander. His roots were anchored in a military lifestyle, his father having also served in the United States Army in World War II. Both father and son were graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point.
A great American, General Schwarzkopf truly understood heroism, as expressed by his quote:
It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.
Let us, as martial artists especially, never forget General Schwarzkopf’s quote about heroism, and also let us live by its truth—that simply giving orders doesn’t make one a hero. A true hero enters the fray and lives the life of a warrior. He is not a mumbler of words and dispenser of orders but rather an active participant in the battle, whatever and wherever the battle may be. In more simplistic terms, heroes don’t just talk the talk, they walk their talk.
