This is the best interview I’ve seen with the three heroes of the French train terrorist attack. It’s with Megyn Kelly, and it’s the first time I’ve heard the three tell their story in such detail. Their characters really shine, and you can see the depth of their friendship and the way their personalities complement each other: Anthony Sadler, the articulate, calm, thoughtful one; Alek Skarlatos, the affable, smiley, fun-loving good guy; and Spencer Stone, the strong, silent, quick, decisive all-around hero. They also describe in greater detail the role of their British helper, Chris Norman.

These guys are almost endlessly fascinating to me. They are like archetypes of the old-fashioned classic American hero: humble, polite, and strong, coming to the rescue of the Europeans in a pinch. They also remind me a little of the Three Musketeers—not just the mystic number three, but the “all for one and one for all” mentality.

It was their first trip to Europe, and that was to be their exciting adventure. Then unexpectedly they seemed to be facing another adventure, albeit a frightening one: sudden death. Still another adventure quickly took its place: their actions saved their own lives, the life of another man who’d been shot and was bleeding to death before their eyes, and the lives of all the passengers on the train. They managed the disarm and capture the terrorist alive as well.

Their next adventure is fame and honors for a heroism that they all steadfastly deny. But isn’t that what real heroes do?