Life is filled with mysteries. Courage is dear. Sacrifice is based on courage before – and often after – that commitment. Reading a short volume, I came across a quote attributed to Corporal Ethan Reid. “Endurance is measured not by speed but by the will to continue.”
I began looking. I found an Andy Reid who lost both his legs, one arm, and one finger in Afghanistan, yet thrives. He modeled Ethan Reid’s quote, wrote the book “Standing Tall” in 2014. His initial commitment has been followed by inspiration – cycling, skydiving, giving. Andy is undefeatable.
In Maine, we have many extraordinary people, many who have served. Immediately, one name came to mind: our own Travis Mills, a quadruple amputee who is tireless in helping other veterans, models human resilience, “can do,” “make it happen.” His motto: “Never give up. Never quit.”
I kept looking. Soon, I stumbled on another Maine veteran, Corporal Ethan Reed of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. This service member died 76 years ago this week, in the Korean War.
Ethan Reed was in the Army, I Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment Combat Team, 24th Infantry Division. On November 28, 1950, he was fighting Communist Chinese forces that overran their position in an attack on November 25. Wounded, he was ordered to an aid station – and never seen again.
Ethan Reed is assumed to have died near Taechon, chaos making a search impossible. His remains were never returned. His name, however, is on the Korean War Memorial Wall, Washington, DC.
Long story short, a search of historical figures who might match that quote is thin, but the sentiment is enduring and applies in civilian as well as military contexts, in the decision to undertake large challenges with high purpose, and to manage the aftermath of such commitments.
Winston Churchill, a combat veteran of multiple wars and eventually Great Britain’s wartime leader, offered hope to the free world in dark times. He later wrote: “Without courage, all other virtues lose their meaning …Success is not final, failure is not fatal … it is the courage to continue that counts.”
So, here is a column that may leave you as curious as I am about who the historical figure Ethan Reid was, or whether he existed at all. That said, endurance and courage have a lot in common. Ideas are timeless. The four veterans found while searching give truth to the words attributed. “Endurance is measured not by speed but by the will to continue.”
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What does this stir in you?