Henry Knox, Joseph Warren, William Eaton…they’re all lesser known heroes of American history. But at least we know their names and their stories.
In Arlington National Cemetery, three American soldiers are buried at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier: one from World War I, one from World War II, and one from the Korean War. Nobody knows who they are or what they did…except die for their country.
And it’s not just America that has its unknown heroes—France and England have similar tombs commemorating their unknown fallen. And the Bible is replete with heroes of the faith whose mention is little more than “there was a man,” or “there was a woman….”
The truth is, you and I likely will not make the annals of history either—probably not even as a footnote. And that is quite alright. The quote by George Eliot that I’ve shared before is worth repeating. She writes:
“..for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.”
Unknown, unhistoric, unvisited, unsung. In a world where it seems that the chief end of man is to be known and celebrated, what if we all aimed to be that kind of hero?
Have a wonderful day.
