To the unknown COVID-19 heroes, thank you

In difficult times like this, as humans we instinctively start to turn inward. It’s natural. We want to protect ourselves and our own families first from whatever that outside danger is—in this case, the coronavirus.

But our health care workers and first responders do the exact opposite. While we are sheltering in place and retreating from the risk, they advance towards it, putting themselves out on the literal front line of this battle. Daily, they continue to risk their own health for the sake of vulnerable Americans. And we are so grateful for their sacrifice.

These men and women are the heroes in America’s fight against the coronavirus.

As a former ER physician and Special Operations flight surgeon, I know firsthand how difficult going into that battle can be. But I also know from the brave men and women I served with—both in the emergency department and in the Army—that they don’t see themselves as heroes. They don’t go into battle—whether against a foreign enemy or a highly infectious virus—to prove their bravery. They do it out of a deep sense of love and duty to put others above self. This is exactly what makes them heroes.

It’s been said: Not all heroes wear capes. But today, many of those heroes wear masks. All of them wear a uniform of some kind. To the passerby, they are thousands of unknown faces in hospitals, in doctors’ offices, in police and fire stations, that continue to fight to protect us, and though we may never know all their names, we are so grateful for their service. We thank them all, because we know we cannot understand the depth of even one person’s total sacrifice.

We are inspired by these men and women, not just for what they do but for who they are. We applaud their selflessness because we know it is not something that happens by accident—it’s a conscious choice they made, to put the greater good before their own personal safety. When they put on their scrubs, or their masks, or their badges—to them, it’s just going to work. To us, it’s a lot more.

We also express gratitude to the family members of our nation’s health care workers and first responders. Often, we forget about the spouses and children of doctors, nurses, and health care workers—but their sacrifice is great, too. In the case of a global pandemic like this, for every doctor that comes home, there’s a wife who can’t kiss him without taking a little of that risk on herself. There’s a son or a daughter who can’t play or read books with her until her assignment is over, or, in some cases, until this virus is eradicated. That’s another kind of heroism.

In times like these, protecting our community is difficult, but it’s a little easier when we put others first. Our doctors, our nurses, our health care workers, and our first responders are the real heroes because they’re doing that every single day. We can’t thank them enough.

Rep. Mark Green is a former ER physician, health care CEO, and Army flight surgeon who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was part of the mission to capture Saddam Hussein, and he interviewed Saddam Hussein for six hours on the night of his capture. He serves on the House Homeland Security and Oversight Committees.