Charlotte's Graham reflection

Ike Hoover's "The Young Hero from Colorado" tells of a hero, Bryan Untiedt, whose situation has important similarities with that of the U.S. Airways pilot, Chesley Sullenberger III, who on January 15, 2009 landed a plane on the Hudson River in New York. These similarities include the circumstances of bad economic times and both the behavior and the treatment of the heroes. Hoover describes the visit of Bryan Untiedt to the White House in April 1931, almost 18 months after the onset of the Great Depression. The U.S. Airways event also took place about 18 months after the onset of the current economic crisis. In both situations, the heroes displayed unusual courage and calmness in the midst of a great crisis when there was no obvious solution. "Young Bryan" saved his schoolmates from freezing in a blizzard by sharing his clothes and keeping everyone moving. Sullenberger, whose plane suddenly lost power in both engines, calmly landed the plane on water without any loss of life. 

Also noteworthy is the treatment of the "Young Hero" and that given to the US Airways pilot. Presidents, like all politicians, like to associate themselves with heroes, but these heroes were given unusually warm welcomes. "Young Bryan" stayed at the White House for four days which included one-on-one talks with the President and his wife. As the author says: "No royal prince or potentate was ever escorted with more courtesy" (p.336). Sullenberger was welcomed at a long list of events, including the President's inauguration, the Superbowl, and a reception with Mayor Bloomberg, who presented him with the "key to New York." However, it is striking that the reactions of both the boy-hero and pilot were so similar: neither person let his celebrity status go to his head. As the essay notes, the description of the boy as --"appreciative, but not demonstrative" (p. 338)-- sounds similar to Sullenberger who according to People, "… instantly, if reluctantly, became a national icon." Calmly saving others from a great crisis, modestly accepting credit and then getting on with their lives, these are heroes for troubling times with unclear solutions.