what lies behind a man’s deeds. Brave acts might stem from fear, misunderstandings, the desire to protect a friend or a thousand other things. And those lauded as heroes often say they never thought about what they were doing, they just moved with events, reacted as per their training. Why pick one from the many who fought and suffered, from the deeds unseen or recorded in metal and ribbons but no less heroic? So I’m uneasy about the idea of the simple, lone hero, too much is left unknown. But, when I stand in front of a memorial to a man awarded the VC and Bar, the only recipient from the First World War and one of only three soldiers to earn it in all our nation’s battles, then my doubts drop away. Humble and heroic is that sign. Scholars look on as you hurry to class, there’s much to live up to, twined to those little words.
