I put this under General Discussion instead of Entertainment for good reason. Some of you are not old enough to remember that Cliburn became an American hero of the Cold War when he won the International Tchaikovsky Competition as a 23-year-old Texan phenom back in 1958.

Rest in peace.
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I loved him in SHANE...



Wait that was Van Heflin
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I thought Van Heflin was the Vampire Killer who was hot for teacher....
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Like I said, some of you youngsters do not realize what a national hero this man was. :-)
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RIP Mr. Cliburn

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I'm afraid you're correct, Mr. Poet. While I haven't been a youngster for a long time, I did miss his newsworthy period by a few years. I'm afraid that even after reading today's NY Times article, I'm still a bit befuddled as to his heroism.
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But you likely understand why, for instance, the 1980 USA Hockey Team in Lake Placid were considered heroic. And that was WELL after the Cold War had thawed a fair amount.

Ignorance is forgivable, and can be cured. Stupid can't be fixed.
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Can't say that I do understand that either. One guy playing a piano and a bunch of others playing a game. Much of my 27 years of military service was during the Cold War; so I understand the tensions and concepts involving national pride, threat of nuclear war, etc.
Suffice to say that my idea of hero differs from yours (and a lot of others, I'll admit.) If that makes me ignorant in your eyes, I can live with that.
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Didn't he sing "brown eyed girl"?
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While I was not familiar with Van Cliborn, nor have any opinion on his herosim or otherwise, I do think that a thread put up to inform or honor a death shouldn't turn nto a joke thread. :-)
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:-)
I have to admit, until today I didn't know who he was, but NPR educated me. I understand the importance of his accomplishments, He went into the rooskies house and layed a smack down at their own game in a very crazy time. Maybe those who don't understand now, might understand better when the movie comes out, that will most certainly be made.Respects.
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RIP Mr. Cliburn you were one hell of a pianist
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Same reason Jet Li was considered a hero in China after the National Wu Shu team toured the United States. It would seem they were meeting Richard Nixon he was asked by Nixon to be his personal bodyguard. Li not even a teenager at the time replied, "I don't want to protect any individual. When I grow up, I want to defend my one billion Chinese countrymen!"

It's more about what they represent and did that made them heroes in their own right. To "stand up" to the other side and come out on top.
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I agree that the thread should not devolve, and I KNOW who Van Cliburn was. I just thought he died 5 years ago.
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