......and those who freely give of themselves to help others. Police, firefighters and EMS put themselves in harms way to save strangers and their property daily. It takes a very special individual to do this as well as an extraordinarily supportive family.

The United States Military personnel. There are no words to express their selflessness and bravery.

There are other unsung heroes. People who volunteer in times of disaster such as the tragedy of 9/11, the Tsunami or Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Some have special skills such as in the medical field or search and rescue of both animals and humans. Many others were the "ordinary" people with the extraordinary compelling need to reach out and help save lives and rebuild lives that were shattered.

There are those who work through organizations such as Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, and other international organizations to volunteer their particular skills and often their supplies to improve the lives of those they have the honour to meet.

All these selfless people have the inherent heart felt instinct to reach out and help any one in need at a moments notice. Their deeds are as much part of their inner being and are put into action as naturally as breathing. As long as they have breath in their bodies they will continue to do what they can for others.

While not everyone has the skills or means to do such extraordinary acts, others reach out and help a neighbour who is ill by cooking a dinner for them or their family. They take the time to help a child who has difficulty in math. Some people work at the rehabilitation of injured animals or volunteer to cuddle homeless dogs or cats at a local shelter.

Someone in another GW forum had her own trials and triumphs during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. She went there to help the animals who were victims.

Someone who was in my graduating class now suffers from severe lung problems because he "worked the Pile" immediately after the Twin Towers were felled. Initially he was picking through the rubble to search for victims. In the days following he alternated between searching for victims and caring for the search and rescue dogs as well as animals rescued from the surrounding buildings. He says he was always drawn back to the rubble to keep searching in spite of his own exhaustion.

Many people do these extraordinary deeds without any need for publication of their actions. They neither need or desire any recognition and praise of their selfless acts. These heroes do it because it is the right thing to do. Period.

Then there is the other side of the spectrum. The true WHACK JOBS who for reasons that baffle the logical mind rant or make pathetic futile attempts to belittle these heroes in various forms. Some merely complain that "something should be done" yet do nothing themselves. Others lob insults at the people who do good things for others. The purpose eludes my non demented mind.

There are the extremists. For example, in August 2005 there were many casualties of the 3rd Battalion 25th Marine Regiment, based in Brookpark, Ohio, while serving in Iraq. A building spanning 20 acres was packed with mourners for the fallen Marines. Most were people who did not know any of them but came to show their respect at a memorial service.

Some time later the bodies were returned home. Again the streets of the funeral procession route were lined with mourners. Many to show their respect for a young man, married and father of two who had been killed by an IED. Some true troubled individual was there with a sign stating something like: He Deserved to Die. It is God's Revenge.

The local television crews asked this individual about the sign and the reasoning was that God was angry at the Marine because he was evil and gay. ? This person came from out of state and admitted not knowing a single thing about the Marine that had been killed but was sure he must have been gay and therefore deserved to die!

It is not known if the grieving family ever saw this blatant display of hatred. One can only hope they did not. One can only hope that this individual and the other crazies out there with similar mentality (or lack thereof) are out of the gene pool!

So here's to the heroes. Those who do things to help, either physically, emotionally through prayer or support, and those who can contribute to help others in need, past, present and future generations.

Were you a hero today?