Fallen Stars - Introduction

         There is something unsettling and instructive about the story of a hero cut down at the instant of triumph or disaster. Perhaps what draws us to their stories is the purity of that instant – a frozen ideal - when there is no lingering possibility of diminution, error, or disappointment. The hero achieves immortality untouched by decay, the humbling forces of history, or the demeaning reality of personality flaws. We see them forever young, or old, covered in glory - or folly. From the actions and examples of these fallen leaders we continue to draw inspiration and lessons about command, heroism and leadership.

Because of the pathos of the hero’s ending, the focus is usually fixed on actions that uplift, that stir the spirit, that give expression to our own highest, often unspoken, aspirations for courage in the face of great danger. In short, these stories are natural fodder for propaganda. Or, conversely the example leaves us disappointed, or depressed by the stupidity or folly of a fruitless sacrifice, the waste of a noble, but forlorn demonstration. In that case, the story is seldom told.

Whatever the circumstances, it is difficult to overstate the value of such lessons; there is no more important, or necessary, civic virtue for the preservation of our republic than battlefield courage and the resolve at home that sustains it. The fact that commanders die in battle draws the bonds among warriors, leaders, and citizens tighter, and that, at the root, that danger is shared in an instant by all.

Over more than two centuries of our history, some 225 generals and admirals have been killed in action, about one for each year of our freedom. It is not a large number compared to other nations. Our highest loss occurred during the Civil War, 160 generals, split equally between North and South. During Gettysburg, alone, 15 generals on both sides fell. The Global War on Terrorism – already the longest conflict in our history - has cost America one general killed in battle so far, maybe one more. Among the names on the list of generals killed are some famous Americans – George Armstrong Custer and “Stonewall” Jackson - but the names and stories of most have been lost.

Also lost in our history are the stories of smaller conflicts, e.g. the War of 1812 and the many campaigns against Native-Americans – the US Army’s first experience of irregular warfare – as well as other equally controversial campaigns, like the Mexican War, Boxer Rebellion, the Philippine American War, or Vietnam. In the past, the dramatic deaths of battlefield leaders focused the nation’s attention on those struggles and this series will try to do the same.

An especially compelling and appealing feature of the study of fallen heroes is that it stands apart from the passions of the present moment which inevitably divide us. In times of intense political controversy – like the present - when issues of war and peace exacerbate our normal partisan differences, there is little difference of opinion about the heroism of the defenders of our freedom, or the altruism of their service. An act of courage and self-sacrifice is by its nature separate and independent of nations, governments, or political parties. To adapt a familiar observation, ‘there are no democrats or republicans in foxholes.’

Fallen Stars will recount and rescue the most dramatic stories of our forgotten heroes and conflicts from obscurity. Each of us can then marvel, not just at the valor and courage of ordinary citizens - our friends, relatives and neighbors - but also at the heroism and sacrifice of those who were appointed to lead them on the battlefield.

If a single American general dies in Afghanistan, or in the War on Global Terrorism, especially in heroic circumstances, the interest in Fallen Stars will soar. There is no reason to think that we harbor any less fascination with celebrated heroes as in any previous period of mass media interest in far away wars. Just look at the impact of the death of a single ambassador in what used to called the “Barbary Coast.”