Of superstars and heroes

July 03, 2009 01:14 am

— CBS News personality Bob Schieffer said the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson reminded him that not all who die are heroes as some in the pop culture have indicated.
His remarks a week ago were taken as a slap by some. True, Mr. Jackson was a gifted artist of epic proportion and was widely revered around the world. But he didn't fit the hero category we hold for those whose accomplishments are extraordinary and testament to bravery and sacrifice.
Ed W. Freeman fit the hero category. He died nearly a year ago and an e-mail traveling through the country reminds us of his accomplishments. In July 2001, some 36 years after the fact, Freeman, an Army helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, had been awarded the nation's highest military honor for actions taken Nov. 14, 1965. The citation was presented by President Bush.
Captain Freeman, flying an unarmed helicopter, risked his own life by flying into a closed landing zone under heavy enemy fire to deliver ammunition and rescue numerous wounded soldiers, some of whom would have surely perished without Freeman's flight.
We're purveyors of words so perhaps we're overly sensitive. But we don't think a bad accident, or even a tornado, can generally be compared to a "war zone." And celebrities, no matter who they are, rarely fit the definition of hero.