Top 10 Heroic Acts of 2011

It is in times of doubt and uncertainty that the human spirit can certainly do more than survive. It can thrive. So this year's most heroic acts reminds us.

1. Gabrielle Giffords: Shot in the head at point-blank range, Giffords survived thanks to the help of intern Daniel Hernandez. Hernandez applied pressure to the bullet wound, an act that was to help save the congresswoman's life.

2. Navy Seal Team 6: The team that trained specifically to eliminate Osama Bin Laden will forever be immortalized as the team that made it possible for America to say that "justice has been served."

3. U.S. and Japan's Women's Soccer: In an inspired match between the two teams, Japan managed to earn a triumph that lifted their country's spirits in the face of natural disasters.

4. Red Cross Volunteers: So far this year, this organization has dispatched more than 131 relief operations as well as various noble, charitable acts such as opening shelters, giving free mental and health services consultations and distributing meals among others.

5. Lara Logan: In two instances of terror the CBS foreign correspondent faced incarceration in Cairo for allegations of being a spy and then suffered sexual assault at the hands of a mob. Logan has since been lauded for her verve and commitment to journalism.

6. Dakota Meyer: For his heroic efforts, Meyer was nominated to receive the Medal of Honor, the highest decoration that can be given upon a member of the U.S. armed forces. Meyer has since become the only living Marine to earn the award for service in Afghanistan or Iraq.

7. Fukushima 50: In a compelling event that would grip the whole world, the group that forestalled the imminent disaster that would follow the Tohoku earthquake was composed of engineers who came from different parts of Japan in order to save their country from radiation poisoning.

8. Mohamed Bouazizi: The young Tunisian only wanted to make enough to support his family but instead was faced with official abuse and corruption. By setting himself on fire, Bouazizi sparked a revolution that was a long time coming in his homeland.

9. Texas Volunteer Firefighters: The men and women who are part of the Lone Star State's fire fighting crew shell out money from their own pockets in order to have enough for supplies. Truly, they are heroes in a situation where a freak fire happened to a severely underfunded town.

10. John Feal (9/11): Feal has survived bodily injury that would not only represent but give a whole new outlook on those that served during and after the 9/11 attacks.

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