Choosing Courage: Inspiring True Stories of What It Means to Be a Hero

A New York Times–bestselling author shares true stories of Medal of Honor recipients, both military and civilian, that “convey the human side of heroism” (The Baltimore Sun). How does an ordinary person become a hero? It happens in a split second, a moment of focus and clarity, when a choice is made. Here are the gripping accounts of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who demonstrated guts and selflessness on the battlefield and confronted life-threatening danger to make a difference. There are the stories of George Sakato and Vernon Baker, both of whom overcame racial discrimination to enlist in the army during World War II—Sakato was a second-generation Japanese American, Baker an African American—and Clint Romesha, who led his outnumbered fellow soldiers against a determined enemy to prevent the Taliban from taking over a remote U.S. Army outpost in Afghanistan. Also included are civilians who have been honored by the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation for outstanding acts of bravery in crisis situations, from a school shooting to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Adding depth and context are illuminating essays on the combat experience and its aftermath, covering topics such as overcoming fear; a mother mourning the loss of her son; and “surviving hell” as a prisoner of war. “Prepare to be awed . . . These tales of heroism take the reader from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan and to U.S. shores, where even a schoolteacher can face life-and-death situations.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer