"Most of us live in blissful ignorance"

I don't know where or when this George Will piece originally appeared, but I transcribe it here from the final page of the 2004 NAS Oceana Air Show program:

Most of us, most of the time, live in blissful ignorance of what a small, elite group of Americans are doing for us night and day. As we speak, all over the globe, American Sailors and Submariners and Aviators are doing something very dangerous. People say, "Well it can't be too dangerous because there are no wrecks." But the reason we don't have more accidents is that these are superb professionals; the fact that they master the dangers does not mean the dangers aren't real.

Right now, somewhere around the world, young men and women are landing naval aircraft on the pitching decks of aircraft carriers - at night! You can't pay people to do that; they do it out of love of country, of adventure, of the challenge. We all benefit from it, and the very fact that we don't have to think about it tells you how superbly they're doing their job - living on the edge of danger so the rest of us not need think about, let alone experience, danger.