hero

Let’s say you’ve accidentally ran your truck off a mountain-side road. Now, you’re trapped in a vehicle that’s dangling over the side of a deep cliff. In that situation, what’s your first priority?

For driver Mathew Sitko, the answer was as obvious as it was wrong.

Kaleb Eulls, a 6’ 4” 255 lb defensive end, is used to protecting against the pass rush for his Yazoo County High School football team. But on Tuesday morning, September 1, 2009, he had to protect a school bus full of kids from a student carrying a .38 caliber pistol.

In the summer of 2011, San Diego police officer Jeremy Henwood was shot and killed in the line of duty. The 36-year-old peacekeeper was also a captain in the Marine Reserves and had spent much of his life defending and helping others.

In fact, surveillance footage taken the night he died revealed one final act of sacrifice by Henwood.

For a moment, imagine that you’re in an important boat rowing race. Just for kicks, imagine that your dedication to practice and your perfectly synchronized strokes have put your team way out in front of the competition. Now, imagine what you would do if another team’s boat capsized, threatening the lives of its rowers.

For James Konopka and Nick Mead, no imagination was required.

Though they had never met one another, Judy Wein and Ling Young had much in common. They were both in the South Tower when the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. They were both bleeding and terrified, as well. Worse, they were both trapped.

But they would share one more commonality on that fateful day.

You know…some guys can do it all. Some guys can walk and chew gum at the same time. Some guys can even defend freedom and democracy while preaching the Gospel of Jesus.

Of course, there are also some guys who just SAY they can do it all.