Is it me or is the word 'HERO' a bit over used these days ?

[Marx]

Are we redefining the word 'Hero'? It now seems to mean anyone who was injured as a result of serving in the forces, regardless of how they were injured. To me a 'hero' is someone who deliberately puts themselves at increased risk to protect or serve their Country.

 

People maimed as a result of war may well have to be heroic in how they come to terms with their disability but does calling everyone 'heroes' dilute the meaning of the word?

[taxman]

Are we redefining the word 'Hero'? It now seems to mean anyone who was injured as a result of serving in the forces, regardless of how they were injured. To me a 'hero' is someone who deliberately puts themselves at increased risk to protect or serve their Country.

 

People maimed as a result of war may well have to be heroic in how they come to terms with their disability but does calling everyone 'heroes' dilute the meaning of the word?

 

Is someone sitting in their barracks when killed by a rocket attack a hero? Or just unlucky?

 

This woman was a hero. It wasn't her job, she wasn't a trained member of the forces...she was a real person who knew first aid and had organised scout groups. It wasn't her job, but she was heroic...surely that is the definition of hero.

 

My Grandad got the DCM for "heroic action". It wasn't really, he had no choice but to do what he did. The woman who talked to Lee Rigby's killers had the choice and chose to be great.

[SevenRivers]

Are we redefining the word 'Hero'? It now seems to mean anyone who was injured as a result of serving in the forces, regardless of how they were injured. To me a 'hero' is someone who deliberately puts themselves at increased risk to protect or serve their Country.

 

People maimed as a result of war may well have to be heroic in how they come to terms with their disability but does calling everyone 'heroes' dilute the meaning of the word?

 

In the military sense you are correct, forces personnel get their campaign medals, but medals such as the GC and VC are still awarded for acts of gallantry.

 

On a personal level, anybody can view anybody they want as a hero, it's in the eye of the beholder. Who would deny a child seeing their Dad coming home from a six month stint in Helmand and calling him his hero? Only a heartless soul.

[kidley]

Hi

 

don't they call them veterans in the us, makes a change for them not to go over the top.

[Glamrocker]

Has anybody ever told the enemy who are shooting at our soldiers or blowing them up that it is illegal to do so,surely on the basis that in every country in the world the killing of another is illegal doesnt that make any war illegal,in that case we shouldnt have taken up arms against Hitler and his cronies or against the Argies and maybe we should have let Saddaam continue with his genocide.Tell me how do you ever declare war legal or illegal, both sides of any conflict must believe in what they are fighting for.

To get back to the OP every soldier who fights for this or indeed any other country is some kind of hero to someone ,even if it is his own family,there will even be some out there who even classthe two murderers in Woolwich as heroes,cest la vie

[MrSmith]

You keep telling yourself that.

 

Harking back to another thread "why is every dead soldier a hero?" remarkebly similar to this one, I wonder if yourself or the OP could name any of our dead soldiers that are supposedly undeserving of this over used term?

 

Oh oh, I put "our" soldiers, that will probably spark a few "they're not our soldiers they're not there for us" rants as I have seen on some threads.

 

And only today I read on another thread some forummers implying our armed forces personnel would be good for nothing but the dole queue as they're a bunch of uneducated idiots?? Not the first time I have read that on here.

 

SUPPORT OUR FORCES. SUPPORT HELP FOR HEROES.

http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/

 

Well said.

Then some of the morons on this forum wonder why some soldiers don't wear their uniform in public, any wonder with the vitriol they may receive just for serving their country.

[melthebell]

The woman who talked to Lee Rigby's killers had the choice and chose to be great.

that was amazingly heroic, him stood there with a machete covered in blood

[kidley]

To any x forces to say ime wrong.

 

any body that thinks a person joins the forces for the sole intention of devoting his immediate life to defending the uk in my opinion is sadly mistaken, having said that speak a wrong word about the U.K to any of them and you may find you are picking yourself up of the floor having said that there is a certain crowed in the forces that will do anything to get out of singing the national anthem. In no way am i knocking any of are lads who do a very good job in very difficult conditions so people can live in the U.K peacefully. just as an after thought every body has got a different idea of what a hero is.

[Vague_Boy]

would you risk your life for 16k and free dental treatment

 

Does that make them a hero or a dummy?

[donkey]

Well said.

Then some of the morons on this forum wonder why some soldiers don't wear their uniform in public, any wonder with the vitriol they may receive just for serving their country.

 

 

 

 

If you were genuinely concerned for the welfare of soldiers, you would be more interested in stopping them being sent to these places. Doesn't have the same jingoistic, tabloid bum wipe type appeal as waving flags and going on about 'heroes' though, eh?

 

The real heroes who knowingly put their lives on the line to defeat despotism in WW2 would be revolted to see the cause they fought for being put on a par with today's - at best - contraversial military occupations, which have no popular support, no consensus and no democratic mandate.