Lake Placid native and U.S. Army veteran Trevor Hough speaks at Fort Liberty, formerly Fort Bragg, in North Carolina in 2019. (Photo provided)

The word “hero” seems to get thrown around a lot, and sometimes it’s used not-so-accurately. But hero is exactly the word we’d use to describe Lake Placid native and 30-year U.S. Army veteran Trevor Hough. He’s shown that through his actions throughout his life and earlier this month — and he taught us all a lesson in the process.

Hough was stuck in traffic on an interstate in North Carolina on June 1, on his way home from attending the Lake Placid American Legion’s Memorial Day ceremony, where his father was honored. As the traffic came to a standstill, a man wanted by the U.S. Marshals for five robberies, who crashed a car after fleeing police, dove into a neighboring car and assaulted the driver, trying to steal her car. It’s these kind of moments when the totality of a person’s character, knowledge and skill is shown. Witnesses can decide to intervene, sit by and do nothing or look the other way. Hough had an idea of what to do, he’s had military training, and he chose to put another’s life above his own. The latter is the mark of a true hero and public servant. It shows honor and great character, which we should all hope to emulate.

The full story was written by Staff Writer Lauren Yates in Tuesday’s Enterprise in an article titled “Lake Placid veteran nabs carjacking bank robber.” But to be brief, Hough was able to detain the man until law enforcement arrived, with the help of two other people who just so happened to be veterans, too.

These men defended this country’s interests overseas only to come home and face a different landscape of violence. That’s sad to think about. And Hough was right to say that when we speak about veterans, too often we focus on veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, higher-than-average suicide rates and homelessness — those are crucial discussions to have, but we can’t lose sight of the positive aspects of service and all that veterans have done and continue to do to better the lives of their friends, family and neighbors.

One of Hough’s takeaways from this situation in North Carolina should be a reminder for everyone:

Hough said he can’t encourage people enough to lend a hand. It doesn’t have to be a “heroic” act, he said — it could be holding a door open for someone or helping an older person cross the street. He said what happened on June 1 reminded Hough that life is precious and fragile and can be gone in the blink of an eye.

“Every day is a gift,” he said.

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this editorial included an incorrect first name for Trevor Hough. The Enterprise regrets the error.