Two Walls that Made (Make) a Difference Published March 11, 2010 By Col. Charles K. Hyde 314th Airlift Wing LITTLE ROCK AFB, Ark. -- I visited the National Holocaust Museum in Washington DC about a year ago, and like most people, I was moved by the poignant reminders of the systematic murder of over six million people. The family pictures of an entire village that ceased to exist and a room full of shoes taken from thousands prior to entering the gas chambers are images one will never forget. But as I walked through the museum, two walls captured my attention and taught me a lesson upon which I would like to reflect. The first wall, black in color, listed the names of Nazis and other evil people who encouraged, participated in and carried out the Holocaust. It listed the deeds of people whose proclivity for evil toward their fellow man stood out above all others in a cataclysmic war that claimed millions of lives. The second wall, a place of honor, listed the names of people from every country who dared to stand against the tide and helped save the lives of thousands of people targeted for termination by the Nazis--many at the cost of their own life. The transition between each display was short, but the divide between them was great. As I moved past, I was struck with the realization that which wall they were on made all the difference. Each person named on the walls made choices which led to their ultimate legacy--a remembrance of good or evil. Most of our decisions are not made with the lives of other hanging upon our choices or with our own lives being put at risk, but they do reflect the essential ingredient which determines our legacy--character. As professional Airmen charged with defending our freedom and our way of life as our nation's sword and shield, character is essential. It forms the foundation of our core values--integrity first. Integrity does not lie dormant, unused or undeveloped, or even exist as poor character until some defining point in time when we make a momentous decision for good. Integrity is developed and strengthened (or weakened) with every decision we make and the next decision builds upon the foundation we have laid. We cannot be one person off duty and expect to be another where issues of our oath to the Constitution are concerned. As Sam Adams said, "He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life, is, or very soon will be void of all regard for his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country, who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections." The example of betrayal Adams used is extreme, but the message is simple, character counts. As I think on the two walls, I am proud to be associated with Airmen who live according to our core value of integrity. The defense of our great republic and the freedom it represents is a humbling responsibility. The character of the defenders makes all the difference.