American Essence

‘Where Do We Get Such Men?’

In this installment of “When Character Counted” is the story of a man whose phenomenal grit and courage became legendary in the U.S. Air Force.
‘Where Do We Get Such Men?’
(L) 1st Lt. Lance P. Sijan in front of a F-4 Phantom II aircraft; and in a formal portrait. Public Domain
Jeff Minick
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In the 1954 film “The Bridges at Toko-Ri,” based on James Michener’s novel and set during the Korean War, Adm. George Tarrant ponders the bravery of the Navy carrier pilots he commands, and then wonders aloud, “Where do we get such men?”
That same question occurs when we consider the life and death of Lt. Lance Sijan.
Jeff Minick
Jeff Minick
Author
Jeff Minick has four children and a growing platoon of grandchildren. For 20 years, he taught history, literature, and Latin to seminars of homeschooling students in Asheville, N.C. He is the author of two novels, “Amanda Bell” and “Dust on Their Wings,” and two works of nonfiction, “Learning as I Go” and “Movies Make the Man.” Today, he lives and writes in Front Royal, Va.