{"id":5309,"date":"2026-07-18T18:53:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:53:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/18\/opinion-the-continued-courage-of-captain-sully\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T18:53:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T18:53:15","slug":"opinion-the-continued-courage-of-captain-sully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=5309","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"slug-wrap\">\n<h4 class=\"slug-tag\">\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/sections\/opinion\/\"><br \/>\n            Opinion<br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n        <\/h4>\n<h3 class=\"slug\">\n    <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-07-18T08:00:00-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">July 18, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">8:00 AM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"program-block\">\n                        Heard on             <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/programs\/weekend-edition-saturday\/nx-s1-5857780\/weekend-edition-saturday-for-july-18-2026\">Weekend Edition Saturday<\/a>\n         <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"PROGRAM-BLOCK\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<div class=\"byline__photo\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/3874941\/scott-simon\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/540x540+0+0\/resize\/100\/quality\/85\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2Fe3%2Fff57afab43a78d30d922ebc69c0c%2Fscott-simon.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Headshot of Scott Simon\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/540x540+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F90%2Fe3%2Fff57afab43a78d30d922ebc69c0c%2Fscott-simon.jpg\" data-format=\"jpeg\"><br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/3874941\/scott-simon\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Scott Simon<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"headlineaudio\" class=\"storylocation linkLocation\">\n<article id=\"resnx-s1-9853755\" class=\"bucketwrap resaudio\" aria-label=\"audio-module\">\n<div class=\"audio-module\">\n<h4 class=\"audio-module-title\">ESSAY 07-18-26<\/h4>\n<div class=\"audio-module-controls-wrap\" data-audio='{\"uid\":\"nx-s1-5882194:nx-s1-9853755\",\"available\":true,\"duration\":155,\"title\":\"ESSAY 07-18-26\",\"audioUrl\":\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/wesat\/2026\/07\/20260718_wesat_opinion_the_continued_courage_of_captain_sully.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5857780&amp;p=7&amp;seg=2&amp;d=155&amp;size=2486065&amp;sc=siteplayer\",\"storyUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/07\/18\/nx-s1-5882194\/opinion-the-continued-courage-of-captain-sully\",\"slug\":\"Opinion\",\"program\":\"Weekend Edition Saturday\",\"affiliation\":\"\",\"song\":\"\",\"artist\":\"\",\"album\":\"\",\"track\":0,\"type\":\"segment\",\"subtype\":\"other\",\"skipSponsorship\":false,\"hasAdsWizz\":false,\"isStreamAudioType\":false,\"podcastEpisodeRawType\":\"\",\"podcastEpisodeDerivedPlusType\":\"\"}' data-audio-metrics=\"[]\">\n<div class=\"audio-module-controls audio-module-controls--no-js\">\n            <a class=\"audio-module-listen\" href=\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/wesat\/2026\/07\/20260718_wesat_opinion_the_continued_courage_of_captain_sully.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5857780&amp;p=7&amp;seg=2&amp;d=155&amp;size=2486065&amp;sc=siteplayer&amp;aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer\"><br \/>\n                <b class=\"audio-module-listen-inner\"><br \/>\n                    <b class=\"audio-module-listen-text\"><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"audio-module-cta\"><br \/>\n                            Listen<br \/>\n                        <\/b><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"audio-module-listen-duration\"><br \/>\n                            <span>\u00b7 <\/span><br \/>\n                            <span>2:35<\/span><br \/>\n                        <\/b><br \/>\n                    <\/b><br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n                <time class=\"audio-module-duration\" datetime=\"P2M,35S\"><br \/>\n                  <span class=\"audio-module-duration__initial-value\">2:35<\/span><br \/>\n                <\/time>\n        <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"audio-module-tools\">\n            <a class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-transcript\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/nx-s1-5882194\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_click_transcript\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5882194\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9853755\",\"title\":\"Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><\/p>\n<p>                <b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Transcript<\/b><br \/>\n            <\/a><br \/>\n        <button class=\"audio-module-tools-toggle\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_open_more_options\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5882194\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9853755\",\"title\":\"Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><\/p>\n<p>            <b class=\"label\">Toggle more options<\/b><br \/>\n        <\/button><\/p>\n<ul class=\"audio-module-more-tools\">\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-download\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ondemand.npr.org\/anon.npr-mp3\/npr\/wesat\/2026\/07\/20260718_wesat_opinion_the_continued_courage_of_captain_sully.mp3?t=progseg&amp;e=nx-s1-5857780&amp;p=7&amp;seg=2&amp;d=155&amp;size=2486065&amp;sc=siteplayer&amp;aw_0_1st.playerid=siteplayer\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_download\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5882194\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9853755\",\"title\":\"Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Download<\/b><\/a>\n                <\/li>\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-embed\">\n                    <button data-embed-url=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/nx-s1-5882194\/nx-s1-9853755\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_embed\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5882194\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9853755\",\"title\":\"Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><b class=\"button-inner\"><b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Embed<\/b><\/b><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"audio-embed-overlay\">\n                        <button class=\"btn-close\" aria-label=\"Close\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button><br \/>\n                        <label class=\"embed-label\"><\/p>\n<p>                            <b class=\"label\">Embed<\/b><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/label><br \/>\n                        <b class=\"embed-url embed-url-touch\"><br \/>\n                            <code><b class=\"punctuation\">&lt;<\/b>iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/player\/embed\/nx-s1-5882194\/nx-s1-9853755\" width=\"100%\" height=\"290\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" title=\"NPR embedded audio player\"&gt;<\/code><br \/>\n                        <\/b>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"audio-tool audio-tool-transcript\">\n                  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/transcripts\/nx-s1-5882194\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"audio\",\"action\":\"audio_click_transcript\",\"storyId\":\"nx-s1-5882194\",\"mediaId\":\"nx-s1-9853755\",\"title\":\"Opinion: The continued courage of Captain Sully\",\"type\":\"ondemand\"}'><\/p>\n<p>                    <b class=\"audio-tool-label\">Transcript<\/b><br \/>\n                  <\/a>\n                <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-134259\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 3000;--source-height: 1958\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3000x1958+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc1%2F73%2Fbe974d9b4f308c3d1b8428dea198%2Fgettyimages-94525610.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/3000x1958+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc1%2F73%2Fbe974d9b4f308c3d1b8428dea198%2Fgettyimages-94525610.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt='US Airways Captain Chesley \"Sully\" Sullenberger stands, buttoning his suit jacket, as he prepares to testify before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Capitol Hill on December 16, 2009.'><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                US Airways Capt. Chesley &#8220;Sully&#8221; Sullenberger prepares to testify before a House Judiciary subcommittee on Capitol Hill on Dec. 16, 2009.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><\/p>\n<p>              <b>toggle caption<\/b><br \/>\n            <\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The word &#8220;courageous&#8221; has been fixed to Chesley &#8220;Sully&#8221; Sullenberger&#8217;s name ever since Jan. 15, 2009. That&#8217;s when the US Airways captain steered Flight 1549 to a safe water landing on the frigid Hudson River, with both engines shut down from a bird strike \u2014 shortly after takeoff from New York&#8217;s LaGuardia Airport.<\/p>\n<p>All 155 people on board survived to tell the story for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n<p>It was called the &#8220;Miracle on the Hudson.&#8221; But of course, it was the skilled and poised work of Captain Sully, as he became known; his co-pilot, Jeffrey Skiles; and the flight attendants, Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh, who guided passengers onto the wings of the aircraft, for rescue by dauntless emergency crews.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Courage is contagious,&#8221; Captain Sullenberger often said in the welter of interviews that followed through the years.<\/p>\n<p>It must have taken courage this week, too, for Sullenberger, who has been so revered for his coolness and command, to reveal that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer&#8217;s disease. He is 75 years old.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is early stage,&#8221; he said in a statement. &#8220;For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don&#8217;t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And he called Alzheimer&#8217;s &#8220;the unwanted visitor at the door.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Alzheimer&#8217;s Association says in the U.S., more than 7 million people who are 65 or older live with Alzheimer&#8217;s. In younger Americans, researchers estimate around 200,000 people have the disease.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;So this new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service,&#8221; said Sullenberger. &#8220;And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Miracle on the Hudson occurred in sight of the Manhattan skyline and was witnessed by millions. The courage Sullenberger wants to summon now is personal and intimate and unfolds in millions of families every day.<\/p>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Though it may impact my memory of the past,&#8221; Sullenberger wrote this week, &#8220;this diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Chesley Sullenberger is still the captain speaking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/126928609\/sully-sullenberger\">Sully Sullenberger<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/146869034\/alzheimer-s\">Alzheimer&#8217;s<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"TAGS\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStorynx-s1-5882194\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5882194\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storynx-s1-5882194\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5882194\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"nx-s1-5882194\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;NEWS&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;UP FIRST&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR NPR&#039;S UP FIRST NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY DAY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;THE STORIES YOU NEED TO START YOUR DAY, HAND-PICKED FOR YOU EVERY WEEKDAY. 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