As we celebrate another Veterans Day, let’s see what we can learn from a four-star admiral, who served as the ninth commander of the United States Special Operations Command from August 2011 through August 2014.
Admiral William Harry McRaven retired from the United States Navy, after leading a force of 69,000 men and women in counter-terrorism operations. As a recognized national authority on U.S. foreign policy, he advised presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
I previously summarized his book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World.
Now, let’s turn to his 2021 book entitled The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived. He starts the book, recalling his childhood, “I was eight years old, way too old to really believe in Superman. In my mind, I knew he was just a comic book character, but in my heart, oh in my heart, I truly hoped that he was real. Because, if Superman was real, then he could solve all of the world’s problems. Then, I realized if Superman or Batman or Spider-Man weren’t coming, then how would we stop the criminals, the Nazis, the Soviets, the aliens from outer space, and all the violence and destruction? The answer was clear. It was up to us.”
Click here for a summary of The Hero Code