Hero-Written after 9/11. Very good paper, will get you at least a high "B".

What is a hero? No words can truly define what a hero is. A hero can be many different things to different people. Webster defines a hero as "a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability." It is known to this day and age that no such legendary creature exists. But that has all changed since the events that took place on September 11, 2001.

A hero is someone who shows courage, never gives up, and puts up a fight to the bitter end. A hero goes way beyond the call of duty, even if that means putting their own life on the line to save many others. The firefighters that ran into the World Trade Center truly demonstrated what a hero means to America. They went in not knowing what would await them, and many of them perished in the ruble. No one would have thought that the two twin towers would ever fall so easily. Even if the firefighters knew when the towers would fall over that they would have went in any ways save as many lives possible any ways. Over three hundred firefighters lost their lives weather it was trying to save someone or to put out the blaze on the 103 floor started by the jet fuel. Just soon after the first plane had crashed hundreds of other firefighters all over the New York City area rushed to the scene to help their fallen brothers or just to take part in any way possible.

Not only did the firefighters define a hero, but also so did the hundreds of Police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Nothing can be done to prepare a country for the tragic incident in down town Manhattan. The weird thing is it was so unexpected, but yet such a simple plan. All this time Police and airport security are looking for people trying to board plans with bombs. America never expected that the terrorists would use airplane fuel as the explosive and the plane as the detonator. The police officers just as the firefighters did rushed into the twin towers to try to save as many lives possible. If there were anything that could have been done different by either the police or the firefighters, it still would have gone down the way it did. In no contracts or in any police or fire fighter hand books does it say to run into a burning building, put your own life on the line, or anything closely related to either of those. They did it all by themselves. Truly they are heroes.

At approximately 10:10 am Eastern Standard Time, American Airlines Flight 93 crashed into Somerset County, Pennsylvania. No one will ever know what really happened on board flight 93, but what was later learned, is that heroism had taken place. The passengers of flight 93 had over thrown the hijackers and brought down the plan in a very low populated area. The Hero's aboard called all their families and decided to take matters into their own hands. The passengers gave their own lives to save the target destination, which was supposed to be the White House. The passengers devised a plan, carried it out and acted as one unit showing tremendous bravery and courage. This goes to show what people united can do as one. Because of their heroism it sets an example for generations to come to act as heroes.

All across America heroism was demonstrated. Soon after the events that took place on September 11, people all over America sent money, gave blood, pitched a hand, rushed to all the sites to help out as much as they could and some bought stocks just to keep the economy from falling. This tragic event shows just how people come together as one to protect each other, and keep one another from harm. But in the end it is sad. It is sad because it doesn't make sense why it takes something so tragic and so many deaths just for people to realize how important one another is. America stands for freedom. It was built on the foundation of people to fight for what is right and what someone believes in is right. It was built around a just cause, freedom and heroism. So always remember legends are forgotten, but heroes never die.