Letter: When heroism applies to an athlete

It was two years after the war; I was 13. I lived in a coal camp in southern West Virginia. Dad was a coal miner whose shift began at 6 a.m. and ended at 2 p.m., and when he came home, the Cincinnati Reds were broadcast on the radio, usually in the third inning. It was then when I first heard the words, "heroes on the diamond."

I recalled nights when Edward R. Murrow told us of the heroics of the Allies in Europe and Japan, how those who fought, lived and died for their countries, thousands being unseen, unheralded heroes on the battlefield, others receiving medals for their bravery, witnessed by comrades who saw their courage under fire.

I couldn't reconcile the two different meanings of hero, even as an adolescent. Many athletes, politicians and the rest of the entertainment universe, embellished by the media, narcissistically behave as if the sun will never set on their talent, as if they found the hero within themselves that has been so acceptable in public.

But now, we have that unsung hero, Damar Hamlin, who has, without seeking attention, performed generously and altruistically off the field, garnering no fame in the process. Let's hope he fully recovers, not necessarily to continue to play the game, but off the field, setting the example for the rest of us to regard the lives of others as important as our own.

James D. Cook

Schaumburg