The pilot of a sightseeing helicopter that made an emergency landing on New York's Hudson River says he was just doing his job.
Michael Campbell tells the New York Post (http://bit.ly/12xUuqj ) everything was going smoothly Sunday when suddenly he heard "a big boom."
The charter helicopter was carrying a family of four Swedes when it lost power shortly after takeoff. It landed safely on the river. No one was injured.
Or maybe I'm just a fan of "Aw, shucks," self-deprecting modesty. But "hero" has been so overworked lately that we use it to describe people like Campbell who just do their duty well. The term should be reserved for those who go out of their way to help others, even when it puts their own lives at risk. The 19 men who died fighting the out-of-control wildfire in Arizona qualify. It was the most number of firefighters killed in one incident since 9/11, which spotlighted those brave men in the ultimate display of heroism -- runing into the burning building instead of away from it.
