The significance of his sacrifice

Due to his sacrifice and dedication to the freedom and democracy, the west had the edge in some situations. For example in the Able Archer 83 (nuclear escalation), NATO knew that the Soviets viewed this training as a direct threat and a preparation for a real nuclear launch against the soviet block, instead of just a regular training. Having this information, NATO was able to de-escalate the situation, before it became a nightmare reality.