After conducting several interviews with our nation’s wounded warriors, reading their stories, and meeting many in the organizations serving them, I am left with amazement and deep respect for the valor and physical bravery of our nations military. Each wounded warrior I interviewed told me, in a matter of fact way, that they were trained to fearlessly run toward the sound of bullets. What motivated their singular ability to do this were these factors: they loved their country more than they feared for their lives; they valued loyalty to fellow-warriors more than securing their own safety; and, they all were, and remain, committed to defending America’s freedom–a cause greater than their individual self-interests.

Later, as I got to personally know many of these wounded warriors, I witnessed example after example of sheer moral courage. I wanted to know what character traits enabled these heroes to successfully recover from traumatic injuries? How did they develop their virtues of perseverance, resoluteness, steadfastness and patience? Their physical stamina was enough to admire by itself, but where did they get the courage, the moral strength to persevere through the rehabilitation of their traumatic injuries?

Through The Character Building Project web site and its Facebook link, my relationships grew within the wounded warrior community. These relationships drove me to better understand the virtue of courage. I penned some of my reflections and identified relevant articles on the site’s Character Blog. Two descriptions of courage seemed to best reflect the extreme circumstances these wounded warriors face daily: Euripides describes courage as “to bear unflinchingly what heaven sends,” and Nietzsche declares “what does not kill me, makes me stronger.”

Euripides’ definition captures the resoluteness and patient acceptance that I noted in the recovering warriors. Many expressed that their injuries happened for a reason. They accept their fate and believe they possess the will power to see their recoveries to a successful outcome. And Nietzsche’s description of how a person can be stronger after a defining moment like traumatic injury is reminiscent of the conscious decision made by courageous wounded warriors to make it through their recoveries successfully, in spite of all obstacles.

The amazing recoveries I have witnessed among our country’s warriors with character do not happen by chance. They are a result of deep moral strength in a warrior that results in determined behavior. Those warriors who make successful recoveries—and many do not–already possess an incredible level of self-discipline and courage. Warriors with character make a conscious choice to survive well. They also are reinforced by a good deal of professional and family support. Interestingly, many of the key caregivers involved in recovery success stories also are persons of exemplary courage and discipline. For both the warrior and the loved one who provides daily care and support, the focus is not on self-pity for the traumatic injuries that happened to them, but rather, it is on the plan to handle the injuries and recover.

Traumatic injuries can subvert the most disciplined efforts and will power, yet the warriors with character refuse to be imprisoned by them. They do not give in to the inherent unfairness of life. Rather they seize their injuries with strength of mind and body and manage to thrive in the face of adversity. They don’t plead bad luck, nor do they squander their rehabilitation but subordinated it all to their will power and make recovery their next great achievement.

From the wounded warriors, I have learned that courage involves much more than being brave in battle. Having recognized this myself I want to make the civilian population aware of the moral courage that abounds among the 47,000 wounded warriors who are returning home. In an effort to raise visibility for our wounded warriors I will publish representative success stories of warriors with character with the hope that others will join me in helping our heroes. They deserve nothing less.