“This is a book about courage, faith and hope. It is a book about what we ought to be, what we can be and what we will be. This is a book about the American spirit.”
This paragraph is from the introduction of William McRaven’s newest book, Duty, Honor, Country & Life: A Tribute to the American Spirit. Admiral McRaven served for 37 years as a Navy SEAL, including his final assignment as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. After retiring from the Navy, McRaven served as Chancellor of the University of Texas from 2015 to 2018. Since then, he has become a highly in-demand speaker and best-selling author, most notably for his book, Make Your Bed.
The title of this book is derived from the title of General Douglas MacArthur’s speech given at West Point, his alma mater, in 1962. As McRaven notes, the old man spoke without “his soaring ego” about the “courage, sacrifice and patriotism” of average Americans and with “a deep sense of reverence for his country and for those who fought so valiantly to defend its principles.”
Who we are
Reverence for those who have built our nation and sustain it today is a central theme of this richly eloquent collection of McRaven’s reflections, speeches and poems. It is also an apt tribute to our nation as it marks its 250th anniversary. Throughout, there are stories about the service and sacrifice of those under his command. McRaven also lauds families of service personnel who, in a very real sense, serve alongside their loved ones.
In a reflection on heroes, McRaven cites the courage of Medal of Honor recipients and is “inspired by diplomats, those U.S. ambassadors who carried the might of America in their words and their actions.” He closes his essay with a shoutout to “the teachers, coaches, parents and guardians who raised us to adulthood, taught us right from wrong, motivated us through the pain and disappointments and encouraged us to follow our dreams.”
For me, this paragraph sums up what I have observed from so many veterans I have come to know, either personally or through their stories. Service men and women volunteer for us. And while their military service is rightly recognized, it is built upon a foundation of national ideals and values. That foundation, however, rests on the willingness of citizens to — as another veteran, President John F. Kennedy, put it — “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Patriotism is service. It is reserved for those in uniform, but it is an invitation to serve, collectively and individually.
Poem for action
McCraven, who has written poetry throughout his life, closes with a poem, “Sitting on the Porch.” In his introduction to it, he notes that the poem’s genesis was hearing sirens while seated in his rocker on the porch. “I knew that somewhere, someone was in trouble…. There is always someone in trouble … and while I couldn’t solve every problem, maybe I could still make a difference.” And so here’s a portion of this poem:
But the longer I rock/the more it seems,
that sitting on the porch/is only for dreams…
But now I know/that the answer lies
in getting off the porch/before I die.
Consider this poem a call to action, one we can each answer in our own way and in our own communities, doing what we can to make a difference.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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