Earlier this year, I had the distinct privilege of speaking to a group of firefighters in Kern County, CA. Unbeknownst to me, the gentleman scheduled to speak immediately after me was Col. (Ret.) Danny McKnight, a distinguished military hero.
Somewhat embarrassingly, I must admit that at the time, I didn’t recognize the name, but I was somewhat familiar with the incident that Col. McKnight would be discussing in his presentation. After all, I had seen the movie “Black Hawk Down.”
Col. McKnight is a Georgia native and twice commanded an infantry battalion—4th Battalion, 27th Infantry at Schofield
Barracks, HI, and 3rd Ranger Battalion at Fort Benning, GA. Col. McKnight served in combat in Panama in 1989 and in Somalia in 1993. Under the direction of Major General William Garrison, Col. McKnight led the 3rd Ranger Battalion in the streets of Mogadishu during the Army’s fateful attempt to capture Somali warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.
During my presentation, I noticed Col. McKnight listening intently to my message being directed to the crowded room of firefighters. The topics being discussed were humility, public service and heroism.
Much to the surprise of many in the room, including Col. McKnight, I opened my presentation by panning back and forth, starring into the eyes of the firefighters sitting in the front row, repeatedly saying “You’re not a hero.” I looked into the crowd and said, “You are a humble public servant. Your actions at times will be described by those you serve as heroic, but your humility will ultimately be what speaks volumes about you as a firefighter, for heroes never self-proclaim.”
Over the next hour and a half, I spoke on a variety of fire service and leadership topics, many of which would cause me to refer back to the importance of selfless service and our responsibilities as humble public servants.
After my presentation, Col. McKnight took the stage and began to describe his roll as a commanding officer operating in the streets of Mogadishu during what was referred to by the military as Task Force RANGER. As the Colonel took the stage, much to my surprise, he complimented me on my presentation, but quickly followed by saying, “But
I disagree with one thing you said. As firefighters, I believe you are heroes.”
Unknowingly, Col. McKnight reinforced my message like only a hero could. He shied away from the accolades bestowed upon him as a hero and with humility redirected to each of us, the firefighters who serve and protect the citizens of our communities. A true hero never self-proclaims.
When I returned home, having now met Col. McKnight and listened to him tell the story of the Task Force RANGER events firsthand, I decided to once again watch “Black Hawk Down.” During the closing moments of the movie, while sitting at the bedside of a fellow soldier, Sgt. Eversmann (played by Josh Hartnett), reflecting on the battle they had fought, recalls a prior conversation with a friend who asked, “Why are you going to fight somebody else’s war? What, do you think you’re heroes?” His response defines the making of a true American hero. “Nobody asks to be a hero, it just sometimes turns out that way.”
Each year, Firehouse Magazine recognizes the actions of firefighters from around the nation who, when faced with danger, selflessly acted to save the lives of strangers—or fellow firefighters. These men and women acted with the true courage and bravery of a humble public servant, dedicated to serving those whom they are sworn to protect. Without fear, without hesitation and, in some cases, without their preferred levels of protection, these individuals searched, dragged, extricated and/or resuscitated men, women and children using the knowledge, skills and abilities they acquired over the course of their careers.
In some cases, their efforts were part of an assigned response, in the course of a normal day’s duty, while in others, it was a chance occurrence—being in the right place at the right time. In the truest form of heroism, in no case did any one individual or group of individuals start their day or their tour with the intention of being a hero, but because of their actions, it just turned out that way—just as Sgt. Eversmann described.
On behalf of all of us at Firehouse, we congratulate each of you—America’s bravest.
