Heroes rarely get the press they deserve. At least not in this life.
Take Samuel Whittemore, for example.
I'd never even heard of the man until I learned that he was one of the men most admired by a friend that I admire.
Samuel Whittemore was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1696. A farmer by trade, he was a patriot at heart. At the age of 78, Whittemore became the oldest known combatant in the War of Independence. Here's how it happened.
British forces were returning to Boston, having just fought the battles of Lexington and Concord. As you may recall from history class, those were the opening skirmishes of the war.
Whittemore was doing what farmers do—working in his fields—when he spied an approaching British brigade. Imagine the ice water that chilled his veins.
Whittemore quickly took up a position behind a stone wall. As the British approached, he unloaded his musket, killing one soldier. But there was no time to reload the rifle, so he picked up his dueling pistols, took careful aim, and shot another, then mortally wounded a third.
But by now, Whittemore, who was fighting entirely alone, was completely surrounded by a British detachment. He reached for his sword, only to be shot in the face. Next, he was bayoneted numerous times. Left for dead in a pool of blood, he was later discovered by colonial forces—alive—still trying to load his musket to fight again.
Whittemore was taken to a Doctor Cotton Tufts of Medford, who saw absolutely no hope for survival. But Samuel Whittemore refused to die. History records he not only recovered, but lived another full 18 years, dying of natural causes at the age of 96.
Samuel Whittemore embodied the spirit of Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” And with that, I raise a salute to my newest old hero–Samuel Whittemore.