Being rich and well-known has nothing to do with being a hero. In fact, having millions of
fans makes not a hero, either. It was on February 18, 2001 when Dale Earnhardt was
pronounced dead following a collision in the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Since the start of this year, the lives of 31 U.S. military personnel were claimed in
aviation accidents in the name of this country’s defense. That’s right, four aviation
accidents. Do you remember the dates? Well, here, just to help you out a little, I will
give you the basic details on each of the accidents.
-
February 12, 2001: Six Army soldiers die when two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters crash in
Hawaii.
-
February 21, 2001: Two die when Navy T-45A Goshawk jet crashes into the Atlantic after
taking off from Jacksonville, Florida.
-
March 3, 2001: All 21 military personnel aboard a Florida National Guard C-23 Sherpa
transport plane die in a crash in rural Georgia, 120 miles south of Atlanta.
-
March 26, 2001: An Army RC-12 reconnaissance plane crashes near Nuremberg, Germany,
killing two.
The deaths of those 31 aren’t being heralded as that of Earnhardt. Why? It’s simple
economics. NASCAR sells. Sex sells. Speed sells. Soldiers only sell when they are GI Joe
action figures on the store shelves, or perhaps Hollywood’s latest action flick. Real-life
soldiers don’t sell – even when they’re dead. In the case of the dead military personnel,
their bodies were gathered, buried, and the ceremonial flag presented to the family.
Now, looking at Earnhardt’s death, you will see vast differences. His name is now being
marketed more than ever. Cars, clocks, pictures, and God only knows what else is being
sold with the Dale Earnhardt name or the number “3”
|
"Dead American Heroes and Dead Dale Earnhardt"
