What drove Leroy Petry to do what he did? The little experience I have had with the adrenaline rush of combat so long ago, and having so many friends who experienced it day in and day out, I can say it is not about flags, flag lapel pins, war songs, the Army, the United States or the fight for freedom and democracy. No, it is none of those things, and those who tell you it is most likely sat home and watched it on TV. Or became Republican congressman like B1 Bob Dornan.
"Patriotism is not the the last refuge of a scoundrel, but the first." Ambrose Bierce
It is for the guys around you. Anyone can be a hero when things get hot. In fact most everyone who has won a Silver Star or Medal of Honor will tell you they did only what their buddies would have done for them. YOU DO NOT LET YOUR BUDDIES DOWN IN COMBAT. Doubts of bravery and questions of cowardice go out the window when the bullets fly. Well except for all the Republican Chickenhawks anyway…