Tragic Heroes - Lewis, Shackleton, Sugihara and Fry

The Complexities of Heroes

It is interesting that when there is a need, a hero will appear. For some heroes, it may seem to be their sole reason for existence. They were obscure before and go back to obscurity after. Others have a hard time going back to obscurity and continue to search for that heroic opportunity again.

Meriwether Lewis, Ernest Shackleton, Chiune Sugihara, Varian Fry are four heroes that I have come to appreciate because of their complex nature and life and their heroic deed.

To learn more of these men is to also learn more about history, human nature, and human frailties. The following is a brief introduction to each man with instructions on how to learn more.

We are all familiar with Meriwether Lewis’ trek with Clark to the interior of our country - how their voyage of discovery helped open the west to settlement. That was Lewis’ moment of greatness. . There was a need for a man to lead a team into the unknown—he was that man, and he changed the unknown into the known.

Thomas Jefferson was convinced that the Missouri River led to the Pacific Ocean. He tried many was to prove it, but was never successful until Jefferson and Lewis got together and formed a plan.

Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose tells the story of Jefferson, Lewis and William Clark, who Lewis chose as his equal partner in the plan. The partnership of Lewis and Clark is the most famous in American history. They complimented each other. Lewis had many weaknesses—suffering from depression and disliking the paperwork involved. Clarke was a plodder and didn’t have the imagination of Lewis. But together they accomplished a remarkable feat. 33 men and a dog formed the Corp of Discovery. For those who want to learn more without reading the book, check out http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/ for more information on each member of the corp.