I did not realize when I first started planning this presentation, that it would be given on Veteran’s Day. Obviously a speech about heroes is very appropriate for this special day when we gather to celebrate the men and women who have answered their nation’s call to serve. Brothers, lift high a symbolic glass to toast those who have contributed their time, sweat, blood, and often their lives, to secure the freedom of our nation. May we always remember and honor our veterans.

My presentation however, is not limited to just our soldiers. We can find heroes in many areas of life. Remember back to the heroes of your childhood. Odds are the first heroes you had were parents or relatives. As you grew older heroes were found in other sources. We even had fantasy heroes in comic books. The first we realized of real heroes, were those portrayed in movies and on television.

Films have enabled all of us to watch our hero role models fighting the forces of evil. Though their battles were usually fictional, the ideas of courage and right were easy to see and left young boys dreaming of the day they could rise up against evil. Perhaps the best example was Brother John Wayne. Worldwide people have been entertained for decades by this slow walking rough-hewn performer. The characters Wayne portrayed whether cowboy, soldier, or cop, never left you wondering who was the good guy. Other film stars have created similar legacies, notably our recently departed Brothers Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Another brother and actor who portrayed heroes in movies and indeed achieved our nations highest military honor during World War II was Audie Murphy. Even today we have some performers that show how a hero should act, but more and more often movies cloud the issue and taint the lead characters role.

As we grew older, school and books supplemented our trips into fantasyland. Through reading we were able to learn more about the real heroes of our nation. We learned of the heroics and leadership of Brother George Washington, without whom our country may not have achieved independence. We, here in Texas, have learned of the heroics of our Brothers Austin, Houston, Travis, Bowie, Crocket, and others who helped to carve a new nation, The Republic of Texas from Mexico’s bloated landscape.

One of the most fascinating characters that I have read of, was Brother Eddie Rickenbacker. I was captivated by his entire life as I read his autobiography when I was a sophomore in high school. This man was involved in many of the things that I felt were interesting. I always liked fast cars and airplanes. Here was a man who was a racecar driver, a Medal of Honor recipient, a World War I air ace, owner of the Indianapolis Speedway, and a President and General Manager of Eastern Airlines. This was a man who was lost at sea for 24 days after a plane crash, yet rose from his injuries to help our air corps organize and prepare for World War II.

These brothers that I have mentioned all obtained the status of hero. Whether through heroic actions or the performances that we honor and dream of emulating, they are men we as Masons and Americans can be proud of. Most of us will never have the opportunity to achieve the fame of these men. Most of us will never have the opportunity to display our heroic talents as these men have. What we do have the chance to do, is to live a life that represents all that is good in man. Through our fraternity, we have stepped into the shoes of heroes. Masons are heroes to many, because of our philanthropies. Children are able to walk because of Masons, burn victims survive because of Masons, sight is restored because of Masons, dyslexic students learn to read because of Masons, and many others benefit because of our heroic efforts to assist others. Brothers, embrace our tenets and through our arts, you can be a hero in the eyes of your community. Again, we are proud of our veterans on this special day and hope that we too can be heroes for our fellow man.