Selflessness above and beyond the call

What exactly defines heroism and what exactly is a hero? I have invested a lot of time over the years pondering these definitions. Lately though I have devoted a lot of thought to one of the oft used sayings in the current patriotic parlance, “All gave some. Some gave all.” After being made aware of those who gave some and those who gave all and mostly those who gave none, it only stands to reason add to that phrase “And some gave a hell of a lot more than most.” Above all, within the context of patriotic service to nation and sworn oath, selflessness is a character trait which transcends political ideology, religious faith and culture. I have proof.

It was the esteemed privilege of Yours Truly to attend the Oklahoma Military Heritage Foundation Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Saturday evening. What made this year’s slate of inductees special was one of the list toppers, a friend dating back ten years who I came to know in a round about way and by chance discovered we had much more in common than merely having been in the Navy at the same time.

It was in the runup to the 2008 General Election that I first discovered Dr. Phil Butler when a video he made in which he came out against the candidacy of his fellow former POW John McCain was widely circulated. It was a few months after that, during a visit to San Diego and an old Navy friend, that I learned of Phil’s popularity with her and several others during the time they were stationed together at the Human Resource Management Center at the old Naval Training Center in the late 1970’s. Only a couple weeks after returning home from that San Diego trip, my high school posted a blurb in the local newspaper that its upcoming hall of fame admission ceremony would include one Phillip Butler, Class of 1956, Vietnam POW. After reading that particular bit of information and collecting myself after nearly falling out of my chair I managed to locate Phil’s email through an online Veterans for Peace website and we had an enlightening exchange of e-correspondence. When he was admitted to the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame in September 2009, I finally got to meet him in person. When his autobiography was published in 2010, I was able to read it and publish a review of it on Amazon.com. During the course of reading Phil’s story, I learned we both knew more of the same people from the Navy than I originally thought. More than that though, I took from Phil’s story that it is not only honorable but also reasonable to let go of a regimented belief system reinforced by intense indoctrination. It may have served its purpose in a prolonged crisis but it is okay to allow one’s self to question authority and social order and actually be human once the crisis has passed. There is even more that I took from Phil’s detailed account of his captivity and post-military life and career. It has to do with seeking a higher degree of selflessness.

Knowing the nature of Phil’s evolution with regard to politics and religion along with that of certain of his old Navy friends and colleagues, a couple I in fact know personally, the largest take-away from Saturday evening’s ceremony, inducting a man to the Military Hall of Fame who spent 2855 days and nights in austere captivity determined to “Return with Honor” was that no one political or religious persuasion has any sole claim to patriotism, valor or service. Phil’s sacrifice truly went above and beyond the call and proves that a Liberal can be just as dedicated to the oath they affirm “to uphold the Constitution of the United States and to defend it against all enemies” as anyone of any other political or belief subscriber can. Phil Butler truly exemplifies the character that pops into my head when I hear the word “Hero.” He certainly has given a lot more of himself in upholding his oath than most.

Although there were a total of twelve inductees to the Military Hall of Fame including the ship USS Oklahoma (BB-37) and all of the 429 of her crew killed in the Pearl Harbor attack, Phil was the only one with whom I had a genuine personal connection. This was not the first time I have seen him inducted to a Hall of Fame. I was in fact at his induction to the Will Rogers High School Hall of Fame ten years ago and was impressed how far the school’s charitable foundation went to make it worthy of a guy like Phil. So far as Saturday night’s ceremony went, I was quite impressed with the production of the OMHF. The event was well attended and the Kiowa/Arapaho drum circle made it truly culturally representative of Oklahoma’s diversity. I must admit I was not aware of the OMHF until I got word of this ceremony a few weeks ago. I may very well be attending again. The highlight of this one was getting to be part of honoring a hero who took selfless service to a whole new level.