In the months ahead, Carter would "retaliate" by boycotting Moscow's 1980 Summer Olympics. But the Winter Games were on in Lake Placid. The United States had last won a gold medal in hockey in 1960, and since then the hockey program had sunk into obscurity. Brooks could have easily followed Carter's lead and made excuses for his team -- there were plenty. But Brooks knew they had at least one thing in their favor -- they were Americans.

The team began with a 2-2 tie against Sweden and went on to win their next four games. Then came the big one on Feb. 22, 1980, against the Soviets. The game wasn't even carried on live television. Brooks told the team before the game, "This moment is yours," even though the Soviets had not lost in 21 straight Olympic contests and captured the gold medal in every Olympics since 1960.

But these young Americans never gave up. Their first goal came with one second left in the first period. The Soviets did everything, including pulling their goalkeeper. They outshot the Americans, but goaltender Jim Craig was magnificent, making 39 saves. The Soviets led going into the third period, but Dave Silk scored the tying goal, and less than two minutes later captain Mike Eruzione scored what would prove to be the game winner.

The crowd in Lake Placid was on their feet. The chants of "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A.," were so loud, they were shaking the Kremlin. Old Glory was flying high and proud. There was no malaise in that sleepy New York town. When the broadcast was played later that night, ABC's Al Michaels could barely contain his enthusiasm. "Do you believe in miracles," he shouted as the final seconds counted down and the Soviet giant was felled.

Two days later, the team prevailed over Finland to capture the gold medal. Their feat even eclipsed the performance of speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals.

The "Miracle on Ice" could be seen as a turning point for the nation. Less than a year later, Ronald Reagan would be in the White House and, under his leadership, the hostages came home, Soviet expansion was turned back in Afghanistan and Central America, and the malaise was lifted. It was Morning Again in America.

Brooks and his players illustrated a belief shared by Ronald Reagan: Leadership is the courage to defy the fatalism of the quitters and so-called "experts." From Plymouth Rock to the Moon, we are an intrepid people not made for defeat. The Soviet skaters learned that lesson on a rink in Lake Placid. Their political leaders learned it years later in a cottage in Reykjavik.

Today, one by one, George W. Bush is teaching that lesson to the Baathists, the Taliban and the Al Qaeda terrorists -- a lesson that he began at Ground Zero, standing on a pile of debris, surrounded by rescue workers chanting, "U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A."