like a burlesque

Flo 2022-12-22 09:20:15

People who say we're heroes have banned us from their stores because of the color of our skin.
It's like a burlesque where you think you're fighting for some people and they just think you're a clown.

"I finally came to the conclusion that maybe he was right. Maybe there's no such thing as heroes. Maybe there are just people like my dad. I finally came to understand why they were so uncomfortable being called heroes. Heroes are something we create, something we need. It's a way for us to understand what is almost incomprehensible, how people could sacrifice so much for us. But for my dad and these men, the risks they took, the wounds they suffered, they did that for their buddies. They my have fought for their country, but they died for their friends. For the man in front, for the man beside them. And if we wish to truly honor these men, we should remember them the way they really were, the way my dad remembered them."

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Extended Reading

Flags of Our Fathers quotes

  • Ira Hayes: I know it's a good thing, raising the money and that, 'cause we need it. But, I can't take them calling me a hero. All I did was try not to get shot. Some of the things I saw done, things I did, they weren't things to be proud of, you know? Mike... Mike was a hero. You ever meet him?

    Keyes Beech: No.

    Ira Hayes: Best Marine I ever met.

    Keyes Beech: You know, Chief, I think if Mike was sitting here instead of you, he'd be saying the same thing about himself, not being a hero.

    Ira Hayes: Maybe. He was a good guy, but I think that he'd be ashamed of me, seeing me the way I am.

  • John "Doc" Bradley: Who are these "Gold Star Mothers?"

    Bud Gerber: That's what we're calling the mothers of the dead flag-raisers. You present each mother with a flag, they say a few words, people will shit money. It'll be so moving.