My Modern-Day American Heroes - Part 2

In last week’s blog I talked about my qualifications for a modern-day American hero and introduced two of my heroes – Jose Andres and my dad. This week I’ll introduce my last three modern day American heroes and why they made my list!

Bruce Springsteen

Bbbbrrrrrrruuuuuuuccccccceeeeee!  The Boss, AKA Bruce Springsteen, makes my list of modern-day American heroes. In addition to being one of my all-time favorite musical artists, I hold great admiration for his efforts and ability to inspire and raise up those who feel forgotten and left behind in this great country of ours.

Springsteen is a modern-day success story. He had a typical American upbringing, growing up in a home where money was scarce and hard work and effort was expected. If you really want to get to know how this unlikely rock star and hero became who he is now, I strongly recommend reading his biography, “Born to Run” which came out in 2016. He describes a normal childhood growing up on the Jersey shore, and his dream of playing in a band.

I was particularly struck by his description of how learning to play the guitar was one of the most difficult things he ever did. He almost gave up because he found it so challenging, but he kept working on it and eventually learned how to play by sheer stubborness and strong will. After some fits and starts, along with a number of critically acclaimed but low selling albums, he hit gold with the release of “Born to Run”, a tour de force that included rockers, ballads, and one of the most amazing “rock opera” songs ever written – the album ender, Jungleland.

His songs frequently speak to America as the land of hopes and dreams, and he has an amazing talent for capturing the lives of everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet and striving for success. Many of his songs speak to the idea of justice, and unfulfilled dreams of average Americans. He has also become the voice of those who speak out against injustice in America – I really admire his commitment to speaking for those who don’t have a voice and advocating for those who are less fortunate or those fighting injustice. He ignores the hypocrites who argue that artists should just “sit down, shut up, and sing” while praising their own favorite artists for speaking out publicly.

He is a great example of an American hero who loves his country but recognizes it isn’t perfect and needs to do better by its citizens. He has the courage of his convictions and doesn’t back down in the face of threats and insults. His music inspires, and makes a difference in people’s lives, regardless of whether you agree or disagree with his politics.

If I had the opportunity to have Bruce over to my house for a happy hour, I’m guessing he’s a beer and not a wine guy, so I’d probably break open a few Michelob Ultras and drink them from the bottle, why he regales me with his stories from his days growing up in Ashbury Park! I think it’s about time for me to listen to my “Best of Bruce Springsteen” playlist again!

General Jim Mattis

There are few U.S. Marine Corps general officers more revered by the troops than 4-star retired General Jim “Mad Dog” Mattis. Known as the “Warrior Monk” because of his combination of fierce warfighting spirit in battle, his intellectual rigor, and unimpeachable personal conduct that mirrored the dedication and self-restraint of a monk. He frequently led troops into battle in both Iraq and Afghanistan, including leading the Marine assault on Al-Fallūjah in 2003.

He is well-known for his clever quips and frank warfighting talk. Here are just a few of his most notable quotes:

• When asked what keeps him awake at night, Mattis answered, “Nothing – I keep other people awake at night”.

  
  

• When messaging to Iraqi leaders following the American invasion of Iraq, Mattis said, “I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I’ll kill you all.”

  
  

• When advising his Marines in Iraq, he told them, “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.”

General Mattis is a true American hero, who led troops in battle, and fundamentally changed how the Marine Corps and the Joint Force conducted peacekeeping and warfighting operations. He also inspired millions of Marines and others who worked with and for him to be their best. He is humble, frank and honest, and dedicated to the country he loves so much.

I had the absolute pleasure of getting to know this great American warrior and hero personally during my time at the Center for Naval Analyses. I met Gen Mattis as a one-star general officer, and had the privilege of working with him occasionally as he advanced to a 4-star leader in the Corps. When I took over as head of CNA, I asked Mattis if he would be willing to mentor me. He had recently retired from the Corps after his last assignment as Commander, Central Command, but he was in high demand and also serving as a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institute. He graciously agreed to dedicate two days of his time every three months in response to my somewhat audicious request.

He would fly out to DC on those occasions from his home in Washington state, four times a year, and advise me on the challenges I was facing as well as help me develop and refine my leadership skills. We became fast friends, and I’ll forever be grateful for his kindness and willingness to devote so much time to helping me be a better leader and person. That arrangement ended when he was asked by President Trump in 2016 to become the 26^th Secretary of Defense – he suddenly didn’t have time for me for some reason!

When I retired from CNA in 2021, he was kind enough to send me one of his favorite books, “The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant”, along with a handwritten note on the inside cover. Below is the note he wrote, which I will always treasure. I can promise you that he definitely did more to help me than I did to help him during the time we knew each other.

General Mattis wasn’t a big drinker – whenever we would meet he always had either coffee or water. And our habit was to meet for breakfast at the restaurant on the ground floor of the Willard Hotel in Washington DC where he would stay when he came into town. So, if I had the opportunity to get together with him again, I’d recommend we meet at the same place for breakfast and enjoy a trip or two down memory lane!

Barack Obama

I’ll end with what I’m sure will be my most controversial choice. In fact, I almost didn’t include him because I never want politics to enter the arena of my blog. But in the end, I didn’t choose President Obama as one of my living American heroes because of his politics – I chose him because of the person is, and what he has accomplished. Obama was the 44^th President of the United States and served two consecutive terms. He was only 47 years old when he was inaugurated as the first African American president in our nation’s history.

Politics aside (and just for the record, I disagreed with a number of his policies and positions as President), he served the American people well and held firm to his convictions throughout both of his administrations. He also demonstrated compassion and kindness as President, and he was quite humble as well. His policies had a significant positive impact on Americans (think providing over 20 million Americans with healthcare who didn’t have any before, leading the recovery of the economy out of the 2008 fiscal meltdown and banking crisis (resulting in 82 straight months of private-sector job growth, and lowering unemployment from 10% to 4.7%), and hunting down and killing Osama bin Laden to name a few).

Also, he stood up admirably to the attacks and fake scandals from his “enemies” and always stayed above the fray – among them being “the tan suit” scandal, the “riding a bike with a bike helmet” scandal, and the “putting Dijon mustard on a hamburger” scandal – if only Presidential scandals were still so pedestrian, patently ridiculous and unimportant!

Obama is now an slightly elder statesman who clearly loves his country and has served the American people well. If I were to have him over for happy hour, I’d serve a nice Napa Cabernet Sauvignon since I know he enjoys a nice wine and would appreciate the intellectual discussion we would have about the wine, along with his journey as a minority from a poor family to the leader of the free world – he’s an inspiration for all to admire!

And as a coda to this selection, I’ll just add that I would also have included Ronald Reagan on my list of heroes if he would have met my criteria for being alive in the current century we live in – he was as transformational a president as Obama was, but in a very different way. I admire them both even though they couldn’t be more different, and they are both American heroes in my book!