Spartanburg's Hero

As is typical, President Bush invited several folks to be his guests at last nights State of the Union speech; thus affording them the opportunity to sit with the First Lady in the House Gallery while the speech was being delivered. This year, one of those guests was Marine Lt. Andrew Kinard of Spartanburg. Lt. Kinard was in Iraq on October 29, 2006 when an artillery shell exploded underneath him and cost him both of his legs; thus, causing him to endure several months of surgery, rehab, and recovery. Finally, he was able to go home to Spartanburg last October where he was greeted with a true hero's welcome - the story is linked here, and it's definitely worth the read.

Despite all the pain and hardship Lt. Kinard has had to overcome, he has remained upbeat, strong, thankful, and, in the process, come to utterly embody 'heroism.' To quote Lt. Kinard's sister, Katherine:

"[He] resonates with us as a hero because he puts himself last - not first. He chose to put himself in harm's way when he didn't have to; and when he faced the reality of certain dreams shattered, with the loss of his legs, he stood up and said; 'This does not define me'."

Indeed. America is privileged to be represented by such extraordinary individuals.