However, all these heroes have a couple of points in common: all of them took initiative independently of the resources and support available, and they did not give up in the face of challenge, resistance, or discouraging circumstances.
They join an incredibly elite list of women and men, and a long history filled with ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things -- men and women of undaunted courage, uncommon resolve, and a stubborn perseverance in the face of unfathomable challenge.
Mr Scott told delegates the party does not "keel over in the face of a challenge".
And America cannot stand still in the face of this challenge.
The remarkable thing is that the establishment and two-thirds of the party have held together in the face of the biggest challenge to Republican orthodoxy for 25 years.
Meanwhile, Maris Strombergs of Latvia kept his nerve in the face of a two-pronged American challenge to win gold in the men's BMX final.
Unfortunately, evidence of the gravity of the problem continues to mount, as planners, policymakers and corporate boardrooms alike continue to demonstrate a preference for short-term profits over long-term security in the face of this growing challenge.
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Kyl charged his colleagues and the rest of us to make a redoubled effort to assure "peace through strength" in such areas as assuring our nuclear arsenal in the face of the increasing challenge to its deterrent effectiveness posed by Communist China, Russia, Iran and North Korea.
While both the London Plan and PlanNYC represent compelling efforts to re-invent the aging electric infrastructure in London and New York City, they ultimately seem inadequate given the scale of the challenge the cities face in this regard.
President Bashir's National Congress Party will perhaps face more of a challenge in the parliamentary and state elections.
"We've tried to mix experience and youth in the right team to face the type of challenge that Samoa present, " said Kidney.
Sports sales executives, under big pressure these days to bring in added sponsorship dollars, face the challenge of convincing beer and spirits distributors that a full-blown sponsorship is worthwhile.
Unlike corporations, which must respond primarily to shareholders, nonprofits face a challenge in honoring the wishes of a board, fulfilling the intent of a donor's charitable gift and fulfilling the public mission of the organization.
The birds at Fukushima are only beginning to face the evolutionary challenge of living in a radioactive world.
In difficult times, we clearly face the challenge of delivering an increasingly better brand experience to our customers every day.
Over the past two weeks, we've been reminded again of the challenge we face in protecting our country against a foe that is bent on our destruction.
Moral rationalization, especially in the face of overwhelming evidence of guilt, can be a challenge for consumers.
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Another immediate challenge is to sustain growth in the face of the global economic and financial crisis.
The winner of the Democratic primary in June will face no serious challenge in the November general election.
So the likelihood is that Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland will face quite a challenge in having to run their investment banks as largely standalone entities.
In the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling, we face a similar challenge.
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And, once they establish their career and reputation, they face an additional challenge of creating their own personal brand in their careers.
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But when the time came to face one of the biggest clubs in England, Wigan rose to the challenge, led by the outstanding 22-year-old winger Callum McManaman.
Coordinated efforts are needed to face the increasing challenge of optimal stroke prevention and rhythm management in patients with atrial fibrillation.
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Whether in publishing, music, video or gaming, all media businesses face the challenge of connecting content with an audience.
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Not all parties are in their favor and the government could face yet another political challenge to ensure implementation of these proposals.
Or are prominent conservatives going to help our countrymen of all political stripes understand the challenge we face and lead in developing and executing strategies for defeating it?
Lest there be any doubt, however, about the magnitude of the challenge freedom-loving peoples face, the footage in "Obsession" drawn from Islamist sources themselves (notably, their various state-owned and terrorist-sponsored television outlets) is dispositive.
The immediate challenge we face is the threat posed by nuclear proliferation in the hands of rogue regimes.
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The Magpies have been in the Premier League for all but one season since its inception in 1992, and now face a challenge to return there within as short a space of time as possible.
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