Heroes

Heroes

What is a hero? What is a hero to you?

I really think that heroes are all around us, all the time. Sometimes we simply don’t recognize them as such so they don’t get the credit. Maybe a hero talks to a person contemplating jumping off a bridge until he comes back over the railing. Or maybe heroes save a dog from drowning in a river even though the current threatens to carry them away as well. Or a hero could give you a hug or say something kind just when you need it.

For me, a hero pushes himself to save someone else with an unexpected action. I’ll try to explain my idea of hero through two examples, both of them which took place in Ukraine. 

It breaks my heart that there is a war between Ukraine and Russia (again). Even more saddening is the news that 13 soldiers lost their lives defending Snake Island (a small island to the south of Ukraine.) They refused when Russian soldiers asked them to “surrender to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.” Ukraine’s president awarded each of the guards the posthumous title of “hero of Ukraine”.

Now let’s jump back to Chernobyl in 1986. Most people know about the tragic meltdown of the nuclear plant which took tens of thousands of lives because of the ensuing radiation. However, not many people talk about the three brave men who saved millions of lives after the disaster. 10 days after the tragedy, Ananeko, Bezpalov and Baranov dove into the toxic water in the basement to release a valve that would prevent steam explosions. The nuclear fallout that could have ensued would have had disastrous affects throughout the world. The men knew they could have died from radiation poisoning, but went ahead anyway because they were the only ones who knew where the valve was.

Now, I ask you: are the men who lost their lives in both cases “heroes”? One of my work colleagues said yes, which is what prompted me to write this entry.

I agree with my companion who calls the three volunteers from Chernobyl heroes. I admit I am against war in any case, but did the poor soldiers save anyone in defending Snake Island? I am so sorry for their loss, but I ask: was their sacrifice heroic?

Maybe you think both situations are heroic. The answer is in how you define “heroic”, so I leave you with my initial questions so that you can respond:

What is a hero? What is a hero for you?

Photo: Philippine Hero or just...by Storm Crypt

Text: Kristen Mastromarchi