I conduced the U.S. military band at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, for the 40th anniversary ceremonies with Walter Cronkite and Pres. Reagan. Looking down the sheer cliffs that the Rangers had to scale under gunshot right in their faces, weighed heavily on me and the others in attendance.
I couldn't believe that anybody would scale those cliffs under direct fire at them. More than one guy must've lost it that day and with terror. Common people doing uncommon things. That's my definition of a real hero.