Men sit in silence as they surround a metal box. The roar of the engines is all that can be heard. A flag drapes the coffin upon which sits a simple emblem, elite special forces. What he did is known only to a few, it may be 50 years or never before we all know the truth. Men who choose a different path now reflect on what has been done. One of their own has paid the price, a hero that will remain unsung. His family will receive a letter and a medal posthumously. Some will know he died a hero, but silence is their creed. Many could have gone a different path, they could have been an athlete.  Instead they heard a higher call, one that most will never understand. Suffering the rigors of training that few will ever see, they work to achieve excellence, to take their place among the elite. The best our country has to offer, they go off to fight in wars. In places that we have never heard of, against enemies that we may never know. Knowing each mission could be their last, and that the flag draped coffin could be all that they get as a reward. The hidden heroes of Americas special forces, do what must be done, so that we can live in peace in the land that we call our home.