Though much is taken, much abides; and though We are not now that strength which in old days Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; One equal temper of heroic hearts, Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Lord Alfred Tennyson, Idylls of the King
One of the key features of effective learning is emulation. It is not enough to encourage learners to memorize information or develop motor skills. We cannot simply “download” such abilities. Instead, they need to see what such knowledge and abilities look like in real-world practice and to have an opportunity to develop and practice them under the supervision of a dedicated teacher. Yet many teachers have little theoretical understanding of emulation. To help provide a practical standpoint from which to understand it, we need to explore the phenomenon of heroism, and in particular the important role of heroes as ideals toward which learners can strive. This article focuses on a particular 20th-century hero of the United States Marine Corps.
In ancient Greece, heroes were demigods, the product of mortal and divine parents, such as Heracles. With time, the idea evolved to refer to human beings who managed to exhibit great courage and dedication in service to others. At times when discouragement and cynicism seem to hold sway, it is especially important that we reflect on heroes and heroism. More than reviewing policy and procedure manuals or codes of ethics, reflecting on heroes invites us to shift our focus from what we should do to who we should be. Moreover, it is often in the attempt to emulate our heroes that we most enhance our own performance and character. Yet heroes are never perfect, and there are lessons to be learned from their weaknesses as well as their strengths.
Lewis “Chesty” Puller is the most decorated of all US Marines, and the only one to be awarded five Navy Crosses. Born in Virginia in 1898, Puller grew up listening to the stories of Civil War veterans who held Stonewall Jackson in high regard. Puller enrolled in the Virginia Military Institute but left after a year to serve as a marine in World War I. He graduated from Officer Candidates School, but by then the war had ended, and due to reductions in force he was given the rank of corporal. He was then stationed in Haiti, eventually serving as an adjutant to the future Marine Corps commandant. Puller went on to serve stateside at Pearl Harbor and San Diego. Despite this rather inauspicious beginning, Puller soon managed to distinguish himself in a number of different battle situations.
Puller’s five Navy Cross citations offer many valuable leadership lessons. The first, awarded for his actions while commanding a Nicaraguan National Guard patrol in 1930, reads in part, “By his intelligent and forceful leadership without thought of his own personal safety, by great physical exertion and suffering many hardships, Lieutenant Puller surmounted all obstacles….” Puller’s most defining characteristics were his willingness to suffer hardships and his willingness to place himself at risk in service to his comrades and his mission. Educators, too, need to be willing to take risks and, if necessary, to lay their pride on the line for the sake of learners, putting what fosters learning ahead of their own convenience.
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