American Heroes

In Arlington Cemetery there are more than 260,000 graves. Four of them are considered special. They have over them the inscription, “Known only to God.” They are the tombs of the unknown soldiers of the major wars of the Twentieth Century. I honor these men as representatives of many men and women who have fallen in battle over the years. But I want to tell you about another fantastic group of unknown heroes. In some cases we don’t know their names and sometimes we don’t know if they lived or died. But we know they were there when it counted. The songwriter said, “Oh Beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.” Let me tell you about some of those proven heroes.

Southeastern Pennsylvania can be cold in winter. The damp cold can literally cut through you if you are unprepared. Our hero was there. Clothing, shoes, shelter, medicine and food were in short supply. And in the winter of 1776 the hero stood in that cold, stomped his feet to stay warm and held fast to face the foe. Many of his fellow volunteers got sick. Some died. Many deserted. But he remained steadfast. They would face the Hessians, the professional soldiers hired by the King. And with God’s help they would prevail.

The three new ships lay there landlocked behind the sandbar on Lake Erie, the Tigrus, the Porcupine and the Tiffany. Their hulls were completed but they were yet to be rigged or armed. Across Lake Erie was the British fleet. It included the best built ships in the world, crewed by the best sailors in the world, led by the best-trained naval officers of the time. Our hero faced this superior force. He knew too well that the odds were stacked against him. Then the order came one night “Drag the hulls across the sandbar.” Wading in the chest deep water, dragging out the unarmed ships they were vulnerable. If the British came they were defenseless. But the ships were dragged out into the Lake and along the shore they were rigged and fitted. The next morning the hero stood on the ships with his fellows as ready as they could be to face the British.

The War of the Rebellion was now more than two years old. He lay at the breastworks at Little Round Top looking out over the rock-strewn valley. The 15th Virginia was retreating for the third time. Even as they fell back he could see reinforcements entering their lines. He counted his ammunition. After three attacks it was almost all gone. If they came again it would be hand-to-hand after he fired the five rounds he had left. Without ammunition to repel the attack he knew the outcome would not be good. But the Colonel said, “stand fast.” They knew his orders were clear. They must hold till relieved. To give up this hilltop would cede to the Rebels a tremendous advantage. Cannon placed here could make more than half of the Union line untenable. Then the rebels started up the hill. The Colonel quietly passed the order down the line, “Hold your fire. Fix bayonets. Stand and fire on command.” He pulled the steel from the scabbard, locked it on the end of his musket and waited. With the 15th less than fifteen yards away the Colonel gave the signal. The hero rose. To his amazement the men on both sides of him were standing with him. They fired an aimed volley of the rounds in the chambers into the gray lines. Then came the command, “Charge.” With no pause to reload they charged the gray line with the bayonets.