I’m standing in the rolling hills of the Little Big Horn in Montana. 147 years ago, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer went down here in the most famous defeat in America’s history.

The nation was shocked. How could a man with such confidence, talent, stamina, courage and luck be defeated? How could a man so in love with life and America, a man who personified the energy and optimism of our nation be defeated? America was on the rise, but the man with the greatest spirit and the free flowing hair was dead.

Unfortunately, today’s Americans are cynical. Many people are glad Custer was killed. They see arrogance rather than courage. They see selfishness rather than patriotism. Not only are these people glad Custer was killed, they are glad America is degenerating and cannot wait to see it defeated or decompose.

This troubles me. We, as a nation and as individuals, can and must learn from Custer’s big headedness. Up to now we have not seen it as an omen of what can happen to a nation because of the overconfidence of a president or Cabinet member. It is imperative that we move cautiously through the world and that as the nation’s leader, I do not have the hubris that has been recently exemplified.

Even so, Custer is one of America’s great men. Nobody loved being a soldier to the extent he did. This created envy among his colleagues who joined the Army to please their family or to avoid working.

Doesn’t that sound familiar? We work at jobs we cannot stand, only to be envious of our colleagues or bosses who love being there. In all our clamor for meaningful work, we should admire Custer for his love of soldiering before fulfilling careers were fashionable.

Another reason I think people love to denigrate Custer is because he was free. Americans today do not feel free, especially on the left. Someone who really does feel free, like Custer, who loves America and will die for it like Custer, is a threat to millions of unhapy Americans.

I know a lot of people criticize America’s Indian policy. They say Custer deserved to be killed and that nobody should complain. I am not complaining about his death. Neither would he.

What I am pointing out is that he was to people in the east in the 1870s what baseball players were to Americans in the 1910s. He had a job in a mythical arena, pursing a career most people did not have the ability to pursue.

He dealt with death yes. But death and violence are what make myths and stories and heroes. People love to look up to violent heroes or to heroes killed by violence.

Custer is heroic because he was free in one of the most unfree organizations: the military. He was a rebel who paid dearly for his rebellion during his career.

Freedom and rebellion no matter what the price is what made Custer great. It is also what should inspire we Americans to remember him, to mythologize him, to grow our hair long and wild, to live with relentless freedom and purpose.

Copyright © 2025 by David Vaszko