My hero isn't here any more.

Though he has carried the torch of freedom and died on foreign lands, he never considered himself a hero. When he had fallen and could carry it no longer, he always ensured he passed the torch to those who could carry it forward.

My hero was an inspirational teacher.

He taught me how to be noble when he answered his nation's call and died in the trenches during "the Great War" that would end all wars.

My hero taught me valor and the courage to face overwhelming odds when he died on the beaches of Iwo Jima and Normandy.

He taught me to honor the past and remember. I haven't forgotten my hero's war nor how he died fighting it in the bitter cold of the Korean Peninsula.

My hero taught me about integrity and that doing the right thing may not always be the popular thing when he answered the call and died in the rainy jungles of Vietnam.

He taught me about pride and rallying a nation when he died in the smoking oil fields of Kuwait.

My hero taught me that liberty is more important than vengeance when he died in the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq.

He taught me the value of teamwork; for in all of his endeavors, he never carried the torch alone.

My hero believed Freedom is worth fighting for--even dying for--and he gave his most precious gift so that I and others could be free.

He also taught me responsibility and commitment; for we find the torch of freedom in our hands now.

My hero isn't here any more.