When I read this story, it pushed me into writing this and posting it on the Escapees forum. Since some here don't subscribe to that forum, I didn't want you to feel left out! Please read the article before continuing...
www.nytimes.com/2010/09/22/world/europe/22nearne.html
For some time I have been very uncomfortable about the growing trend in today's society to affix the lable "hero" to anyone who enlists in the military, joins a police or fire department, etc. (Or worse, a grossly overpaid sports figure or entertainer.) I know some will blast me over this, but I am comfortable in this opinion. If you have read this article first, you cannot possibly tell me that someone who enlists and then spends his or her enlistment doing nothing more dangerous than getting up in the morning deserves the same title as this woman, who "shunned all opportunities to earn celebrity from her wartime experiences". Respect for their service, which is usually appropriate, is NOT the same as gushing over their 'heroic' service.
There is a major difference between doing one's duty -- and a genuine act of heroism.
In twenty years as a Marine I had many opportunities to serve with men and women who had earned medals for heroism. None of them would even talk about the circumstances that resulted in their decorations. Some had to be ordered to wear all of their ribbons because they didn't want to attract attention to their valor (one Navy Cross winner in particular springs to mind). Or maybe they didn't want to be reminded of what happened? It is almost a given that any award for valor will be accompanied by a Purple Heart. I have never met a military professional who is anything but puzzled, embarassed, and appalled by this new practice of being considered a hero simply for the act of their service. All that this practice has done is degrade the word 'hero' and by extention, the acts of those very, very few who actually deserve the title.
I also served as a sheriff's deputy in a large county and the one or two deputies I knew who actually were heros have the same attitude. Same with firefighters and technical rescue work and yes, I've done that too. And all of it was mostly a hell of a lot of fun. Heroic? No.
What really started me thinking seriously about this subject is an article I ran across following an obscure link online. I am not particularly impressed one way or the other by most of the content of the web site, but this article by William J. Astore, a retired lieutenant colonel (USAF) who teaches History at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, is full of insight and thought-provoking. You have to go down a bit to get through the political stuff that the web site guy stuck on, but the article titled “Our American Heroes” is down there! Here's the link...
www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175276/tom...make_heroes___/
I am particularly contemptuous of people who are either serving or served in the past who have eagerly accepted and wrapped themselves in this mantle of 'heroism'. And I have no time at all for the ones who show up at happy hour and brag about their heroic -- and completely untrue -- acts. Have I seen/heard this? Yep. It especially amuses me when I have personal knowledge of the time and place they are talking about and know for a fact that they are full of it.
I guess I'm a little more tolerant of people who have never served falling into this habit. But they need to think about it a little more. Just because someone does something you aren't willing to doesn't make them a hero. So stop abusing and therefore cheapening the word. There are people who deserve it... but they are a rare breed indeed.
And I'll get off my soapbox.
