ABOARD USS YORKTOWN — There has been much said and written of late regarding “high-risk decision-making” and “courageous leadership” in Washington. The so-called mainstream media, politicians and pundits are all a-twitter — literally — about a congressman’s underwear, the damage done by WikiLeaks and how the death of Osama bin Laden and the “Arab Spring” are changing the course of history. For those having difficulty discerning what qualifies as “decisiveness under duress” or a “gutsy call,” the first week of June offers some excellent examples from living history that put current events into a more reasonable perspective.

Much of that history is visible here on the flight and hangar decks and spaces aboard “The Fighting Lady.” This aircraft carrier, designated CV-10, was commissioned barely 10 months after its namesake was sunk by the Japanese shortly after the epic Battle of Midway, 69 years ago this week. The docents and tour guides here know how bold, brave decisions and the undaunted courage of young Americans in uniform can create world-changing events. And they explain all this without political coloration or equivocation to visiting students, tourists and Boy Scouts.