Lucille M. Ford's The Heroes We Never Name

“But here’s a cheer for the many brave, The heroes we never name “ (Ford). In Lucille M. Ford’s poem, “The Heroes We Never Name,” the writer explains, in her own way, who can be a hero. Ford reveals through her writing, that a hero doesn’t have to be someone who announces their goodness, or someone whom everyone seems to know of, and respect. Each component of her poem acknowledges this important type of hero, a hero who is never named, and shows how important it is. From people like Drew Dudley, who do something small to make a huge change for someone else by doing something they do everyday, to people like supporters of Martin Luther King Jr., who made his accomplishments a success through their support, and people like a pilot, who simply

Toilers who struggle and labor and strive And hope for a future of peace?” (Ford). One of the important types of heroes mentioned in the third stanza of Ford’s inspiring poem is an “everyday hero.” Drew Dudley is a person whose actions in everyday life make him a hero. At a University, Dudley was walking near a line of students signing up and registering. He was handing out lollipops to people and spreading awareness for his charity, and saw a girl in the line. He didn’t know that she was going to quit, and give up on college. He took a lollipop out and handed it to the boy next to her, asking him to give her the candy. He was embarrassed, which made the girl laugh. The situation that Dudley found himself in was ordinary, and that’s where the “everyday” part surfaces. The “hero” half applies to Dudley, because of what happened when the girl laughed. She sent a letter to him, years later, and wrote, “I don 't know why I 'm telling you this, but in that moment when everyone was laughing, I knew that I shouldn 't quit” (Dudley) His everyday actions, normal things he did, resulted in a huge impact, even though he didn’t realize it. He wasn’t trying to be a hero. But he was one. Everyday heroes, like Drew Dudley, are the people mentioned in the poem; and they are as important other people who are well known for what

“Back of our nation 's first leader, Of Lincoln and Wilson, too, Back of the mind directing our course, Was the army that carried it through” (Ford). In the second stanza of Ford’s poem, she tells about a second type of hero - a team member. Think of what would happen if a hero didn’t have anyone to help them out, or guide them, or support them. Would heroes even be considered heroes? Martin Luther King Jr., the famous civil rights activist, made huge changes, and did many amazing things. Everyone acknowledges his behavior as that of a hero. But what about those who supported him, and did all that was in their power for his cause? On Dec. 5th, 1955, Martin Luther King Jr. started the well-known bus boycott, where civil right supporters boycotted the bus until blacks and whites had equal seating opportunities. But before he could start the boycott, he had to have support of others. His supporters reacted accordingly, and thus brought about the boycott. While the things that Martin Luther King Jr. accomplished were great, all of it couldn’t have been possible without people supporting him. And that’s why a member of a heroes group, are heroes