Abu 'Ubaidah al Jarrah
Truncated top (only the ending is present) :)

When Khaalid Ibn Al-Waliid was the commander of the Muslim armies in one of the great decisive battles, the first action of 'Umar Ibn Al-Khaftaab, the new caliph at the time, was to dismiss Khaalid and assign Abu 'Ubaidah in his place. When Abu 'Ubaidah received the message from 'Umar he decided to conceal its purport. He pleaded with the messenger to keep it a secret with great admirable asceticism, intelligence, and fidelity. When Khaalid achieved his great victory, and only then, did Abu "Ubaidah relay to him the message with extraordinary politeness. On reading the message Khaalid asked him, "May Allah bestow His mercy on you, Abu 'Ubaidah. What made you keep that message from me?" The Trustworthy of the Nation answered, "I was afraid lest it should cause any confusion that might affect the army's morale. We do not crave life or its splendor. We are brothers before Allah."

Thus, Abu 'Ubaidah was assigned as the commander-in-chief in Syria. His army was the mightiest and best equipped among the Muslim armies. You could hardly distinguish him from the rank and file of the army. He was always unassuming. When he heard that the people of Syria were infatuated by him and by his new rank, he asked them to assemble, then addressed them saying, "Fellow men, I'm a Muslim from the Quraish tribe. I will follow any of you like his shadow regardless of the color of his skin, if he is more pious and righteous than me."

May Allah greet you, Abu 'Ubaidah. May Allah bless the religion that refined you and the Prophet who instructed you. He said that he was a Muslim from the Quraish. His religion was Islam and his tribe was Quraish. For him, this sufficed as an identification. His being the commander-in-chief, the leader of the greatest Muslim army in number, equipment, and victory and the obeyed and respected ruler of Syria were not privileges in themselves. He was not ensnared by the web of conceit or haughtiness. As a matter of fact, all these titles and high positions were the means to a sublime ultimate end.

One day, the Commander of the Faithful visited Syria and asked those who were at his reception, "Where is my brother?" They asked, "Who do you mean?" He answered, "Abu "Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarraah." Soon Abu 'Ubaidah arrived and hugged 'Umar, then he invited him over to his house, where he had no furniture. In fact, he had nothing but a sword, a shield, and a saddlebag. "Umar asked him, smiling, "Why don't you furnish your house as people do?" Abu 'Ubaidah readily answered, "O Commander of the Faithful, as you see, I have a room to sleep in and that is enough for me."

One day as the Commander of the Faithful 'Umar 'Al-Faruuq" was conducting the affairs of the vast Muslim world, he received the sad news of Abu "Ubaidah's death. He tried to control himself, but his sadness got the better of him and his tears flowed. He asked Allah to bestow His mercy on his brother. He recalled his memories with Abu 'Ubaidah (May Allah be pleased with him) with patience and tenderness. He exclaimed, "If I were to make a wish, I would have wished a house full of men just like Abu 'Ubaidah."

The Trustworthy of This Nation died in the land which he had purified from the paganism of the Persians and the oppression of the Romans. Today in Jordan lie his noble remains which once were full of life, goodness, and satisfaction. It does not matter if you know where he is buried or not, for if you want to find his grave, you will need no guide; the fragrance of his remains will lead you to it.

radhi Allahu anh :: May Allah give us strength to be like His servants of the early generation, amin

Taken from http://www.iberr.co.za/sahaba.htm