Although some in the media seem to have amnesia about what we stand for as a nation, America still represents a beacon of hope in a dark world to people in societies where human life and dignity have been devalued. In most cultures, life is not treated as precious - and violence, rather than compassion, is the norm. There are even societies in the Middle East in which murder is considered a holy obligation. 

That is why every American should be proud of the amazing story of Steven Tschiderer - a young Army medic who saved the life of an Iraqi sniper immediately after the sniper attempted to kill him in cold blood. Tschiderer was shot with a high-velocity rifle - but his life was saved by state-of-the-art ceramic body armor.  Watch at 2:57 into the video, when Tschiderer gets to his feet while his would-be killers are praising Allah because they think he's dead.

But the most important part of Tschiderer's story is the character he displayed after capturing the sniper who tried to kill him. Sgt. Tschiderer's instinct to help rather than kill a wounded enemy speaks volumes about him and most of the men and women who wear our nation's uniform. Pay careful attention to how Tschiderer downplays this extraordinary act of compassion as being part of the training and culture of our military - and you'll have a measure of what makes our nation truly great.

Matt Daniels

Creator and Executive Producer