Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_E._Noyes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_E._Noyes#/media/File:Henry_E._Noyes.jpg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andersonville_Prison

I want to celebrate the men throughout American history who acted not for clout, but for their own values. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. Whose actions haven’t been as recognized in the popular imagination of history as I think they should be. Who took risks, and even were rewarded for those risks sometimes. So I’m starting this series of posts — Honoring Our Heroes — to spotlight these men.

A few notes on this project.

1. Though this series will be highlighting mostly white American men (see introduction post), there are so many other people across genders, races, nationalities, etc. that have been left behind by history that I think should be celebrated. There are only so many hours in a day though, and I want to do something specific with these posts. There are lots of good historians and writers who highlight others though, I always will encourage people to read more and do more research!
2. No ‘great man’ is alone. I don’t subscribe to the ‘great man’ theory of history. I believe there’s lots of great people who work together to make things happen. Some of these people happen to get biopics and posts on tiny WordPress blogs. That just means we get to hear their story, and there are so many stories that should be told. See #1. And just because I’m highlight someone for an action I think is heroic, doesn’t mean that I think they’re better than anyone else. See #3.
3. Just because someone is highlighted, it does not mean I condone every single word and action they ever said or did in their life. People are complicated. I am most definitely not a historian, I’m getting most of my research from Wikipedia, and I cannot fact check every facet of someone’s life. ‘Hero’ is going to have to be very loosely defined and confined to someone’s specific actions in a specific period of time here.
4. Affiliations are complicated. Religions, military branches, and criminal justice organizations have hurt people in the past, continue to hurt people in the present, and will probably hurt people in the future. That is true of any grouping of people, because we’re human. There is a spectrum of harm and oppression that I don’t want to ignore with particularly powerful institutions. And at the same time, so many families have a grandfather, uncle, father, brother, friend, etc. who is affiliated with these groups and viewed their affiliation as a form of service to a greater good. So many of these men tried to use their service to protect or advance the rights and dignity of those around them. Sharing their stories does not mean duplicating the systems and harms of the past. But perhaps we can take inspiration from the individuals within these institutions for the future.