If 2009 is the year of change, then we might also dub it the Year of Heroes.

In January, Capt. Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger guided his airliner into an emergency landing on the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 people aboard. A pilot with less experience and less grit might have panicked, crashed into a densely populated city and killed hundreds or thousands.

Now comes Capt. Richard Phillips, who showed courage in offering himself as a hostage to high sea pirates rather than risk the lives of his crew and the contents of his freighter -- humanitarian goods bound for poverty-stricken areas of Africa. Navy snipers saved his life on Easter Sunday by firing into the small craft where three pirates were holding him hostage. (A fourth pirate had already surrendered.)

Of greater interest here in Moore County are two home-grown heroes, one of whom lost his life in the Pinelake Health and Rehabilitation Center shooting three weeks ago. Nurse Jerry Avant died while trying to protect helpless patients. He was among eight who died.

Officer Justin Garner of the Carthage Police Department showed courage and determination when he made the decision to enter the Pinelake building without backup while it was still under siege by a gunman shooting at random. He took some shotgun pellets but, much to everyone's great relief, survived. Had he not acted swiftly and without consideration of personal safety, the tragedy could have been even more widespread. His effort also resulted in apprehension of the suspect.

Garner wounded the suspect but did not kill him. Some people argue that Garner should have shot him dead. I don't agree. The perpetrator may deserve to die, but there are arguments in favor of keeping him alive. For example, we may learn more about the characteristics of people who commit such heinous massacres and what triggers their behavior.

Recent years have found our popular heroes tarnished. Sports figures, from major-leaguers to Olympic medalists, have hurt us with illegal drug usage. Government leaders whom we once admired have engaged in nefarious doings, ranging from philandering to nonpayment of taxes. And ever since media coverage of warfare moved into our living rooms and dens, we have seen evidence of behavior we abhor.

The crew and passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 are probably the last heroes who really stirred hearts. They overpowered terrorist hijackers and thwarted plans to crash into either the White House or the Capitol. Instead, they forced the aircraft to crash in a Pennsylvania field and lost their lives in the effort. It's hard to believe that 9/11 could have been worse, but without their extraordinary courage and wit, it would have been even more catastrophic.

News headlines these days tell us of Madoff-style ripoffs, of corporate leaders pocketing millions in bonuses after leading their companies into bankrupty. Banks once regarded as bastions of rectitude have dropped off the map, job losses mount daily, and profits are sinking rapidly. Publications bombard us with "news" of the shenanigans of celebrities -- people I would not recognize if they walked into the room. I have no idea how they became celebs.

I know, the four men I mentioned and the people aboard Flight 93 are not our only heroes. There are hundreds who daily commit acts of courage, sometimes suffering injury themselves or dying. They pluck children from lakes and ponds and wells, they pull injured people from flaming wrecks, they charge into burning houses. Military personnel daily risk their lives to save comrades and civilians as well as their country.

But today we need Justin Garner, Sully Sullenberger and Richard Phillips, and we honor the memory of Jerry Avant.

We need them not just because they saved lives through acts of selfless courage but also because they represent principles and values we have allowed to slip through the cracks of our lives. We need them because they restore our spirit as a nation.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at 947-4962 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.