What is a war hero?

[Michele 1]

With all the yammering of "I am a war hero!", what does that really mean? What is, to you, a war hero?

My father fought in WW2, in BCI. He is permanently disabled because of combat. He is, to me, a war hero.

I have several friends who fought in Viet Nam, and they suffered greatly. Significantly wounded (one was shot in the belly, but survived, and the other one lost part of his foot). They are war heros.

I don't know if I know anyone who has fought and been injured significantly in either of the Iraq wars...

So, what is a war hero to you?

Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[freeflir29 0]

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So, what is a war hero to you?

If you wanted to hear the story from most I have known you would have to be there when THEY wanted to talk about it. Most people who have "Been there and done that" don't really want to discuss it. Each have their own reasons. Sometimes they have survivors guilt or maybe it was just a really damn terrifying experience. Most don't want to relive it....sober anyway. Being a hero is much more about who you are and not the gritty details of what you have done.

[skymama 37]

My dad's a war hero to me. He was a Marine Captain in Viet Nam in the artilery unit. He wasn't injured, thank goodness, but he has one story that he tells where he says if he would have been about 2 seconds slower, he would have gotten killed by a grenade. I was born at Camp Lejune, and he went to war 6 weeks later. I got to meet him again when I was about 2. He's my dad and my boss now.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[JJohnson 0]

Defining a war hero is easy....anyone who served their country in time of war....period. Yes some jobs assume more risk...but all are required for the armed forces to function. So anyone who serves in time of war has my vote as hero.
Are their degrees of heroism....you bet. But I take nothing away from any man or woman who was willing to lay it on the line to protect their country, their way of life....or as I have heard it put...their buddies ass or their own.
My six years were in peace time. I don't belittle what I did, nor make it out to be something it wasn't. I tip my hat to anyone who served and tip it a bit deeper for those who stood in harms way.
You also have quite a few people that have stood in harms way in peace time...doing dirty little jobs that needed to be done. I salute those "good luck boys" as well. The Navy and Coast Guard...they get to play dangerous games all the time, so do all the pilots....Heck I'll even put the cops and fire putter outers up on hero status as well.
end of rant. sorry.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[labrys 0]

My CO was injured in GWI helping to evacuate Israeli citizens from an apartment complex hit by a SCUD missle. A friend was hit with small arms fire in GWII helping to evacuate an Iraqi family caught in the crossfire during a small arms battle in April. I consider them both to be war heroes

Owned by Remi #?

[kansasskydiver 0]

Anyone who serves their country willingly or unwillingy in any branch of the service, wether they see action or not is a hero to me.

<--- See look, pink dolphins DO exist!

[skybytch 273]

To me, anyone who goes to war is a war hero and should be treated as such.

[n2skdvn 0]

go to your local VA hospital talk to some of the "old timers" I did when i was a kid and learned alot.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[vonSanta 0]

A veteran is to me someone who has served during war. A battle hardened one is one who's sered at the frotn lines extensively.

A hero is someone who has done something extraordinary, helping his mates and endangering his life while doing so. I.e taking extra risks to meet a set objective.

If everyone who was in a war is by definition a war hero, the term would be a bit diluted. Of course I am speaking from a strictly semantic point of view and I have no military experience myself whatsoever.

One could argue that whomever you think is a hero is jsut that, and I have no problems with that.

Santa Von GrossenArsch
I only come in one flavour
ohwaitthatcanbemisunderst

[pleifer 0]

My bro served in the Gulf war part one
he will be forever scared from what he saw over there. Not physicaly injured but still a hero

My sister-in-law, another gulf war vet.
just died of cancer within the last year, because of contact with chemicals over in iraq.... that is the only corrilation they can find though....
she never left her computer over there.....
she is a hero in my book

_________________________________________
The Angel of Duh has spoke

[PLFKING 4]

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Defining a war hero is easy....anyone who served their country in time of war....period. Yes some jobs assume more risk...but all are required for the armed forces to function. So anyone who serves in time of war has my vote as hero.
Are their degrees of heroism....you bet. But I take nothing away from any man or woman who was willing to lay it on the line to protect their country, their way of life....or as I have heard it put...their buddies ass or their own.

Amen to that.

I consider any man or woman who wears their country's uniform with pride to be a hero.

My dad died in Nam....shot down while piloting a Red Cross chopper. I consider him a war hero.

My uncle left home as the quintessential "happy-go-lucky" country boy at 19....came back 3 years later after a highly-decorated tour as point man on a recon team, but he was a totally changed man in every way....I consider him a war hero. In many ways I felt sorrier for him than I did my dad, because he has suffered for decades.

I remember the feeling of pride I had at reading a story about The Duke ....he and Jimmy Stewart were marching in a parade to support either the Korean or Nam war (can't remember which) when Wayne spotted a protester with an anti-American sign. Stewart's son had just been KIA in the war. Wayne disappeared into the crowd, there was a scuffle, the protester went down....then Wayne stepped back into the street to join the parade, stopping momentarily at the curb to break the sign over his knee, then throwing the pieces into the gutter. Of course nowadays he would be sued to hell and back for such an action, but I wish that sense of pride and love-of-country was still alive in more Americans.


Don

"When in doubt I whip it out,
I got me a rock-and-roll band.
It's a free-for-all."

[mjosparky 4]

There are no heroes in combat. You are so scared it is tough just to swallow. Your mind is going 100 mph in every direction and all you can think of is staying alive. Sometimes things that are done to stay alive are viewed by others as heroic and medals are handed out. But believe me, there are no heroes, only fear. The heroes of this country are the every day people that go about their business day in and day out and try in some small way to make things just a little bit better. Raise their kid to know right from wrong and take responsibility for their family. jmo
Michael (aka Sparky)

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[nbblood 0]

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One could argue that whomever you think is a hero is jsut that, and I have no problems with that.

I think you hit the nail on the head right there. You don't have to be a war hero to be a hero to somebody. Mommies and Daddies are heros all over the world. Some people I just wish would act more like heros, because somebody's watchin'.

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Of course nowadays he would be sued to hell and back for such an action, but I wish that sense of pride and love-of-country was still alive in more Americans.

Me too.

Blues,
Nathan

Blues,
Nathan

If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

[sdgregory 0]

If you really want to know what a war hero is visit the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier.

or

Join the military and go to a place where people don't want you, and do a thankless job that nobody else wants, while your family goes through their daily life with an empty chair at the table.

or

Sacrifice something of yourself for nothing in return other than pain and sorrow, and the satisfaction that noone will ever really know what you contributed but those who have been there.

or

Go to your local VFW and meet the thousands of men and women who have served in any capacity in any war.

or

Walk around Washington D.C. and look at the monuments to those who have served.

or

Go to any of the countless of homes in your area where someone is currently serving and sit with their families and learn about the loved one oversees.

or

Search your local paper, go to your work and scan the faces in memorial picture boards.


All of these are your War Heroes.

[nbblood 0]

Wow, well said.

Blues,
Nathan

Blues,
Nathan

If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

[Erroll 80]

I suppose the official nutshell definition (the one that earns the medals) is to have acted above and beyond the call of duty. However, in my opinion a war hero is a hero only in the eye of the beholder. During the conflict in Angola and Namibia (formally South West Africa) I saw several chopper pilots earn medals for bravery for just doing their jobs. Granted, their jobs were dangerous, but they were just doing their jobs. My fellow Infantery soldiers and I were also just doing our jobs and one could argue which was the more dangerous.

A hero is someone you look up to, someone you admire, someone you want to emulate, someone you respect. During 18 years of service in the CF (including several tours of duty in SWA) I came across many soldiers who were a disgrace to their units, their uniforms and their country. Just the fact that they had been to war did not make them heros in my book. They probably were heros to their own families and children.

On the front page of my morning newspaper there is a photograph of an Israeli soldier punching a Palestinian youth in the face. I am sure that no Palestinians who witnessed this will think the soldier is a hero. I am also sure that many Isrealies who witnessed the event do.

A war hero is a hero only in the eye of the beholder.

[Michele 1]

Spectacular answers, guys, thanks a bunch.

SDUGregory, all wonderful suggestions, some I have done. When I look at my father, and listen to the stories he is willing to share - and listen to the stories he doesn't talk about, either; although that listening is not with ears but with my heart - I know my father is a war hero. If only to me.

Keep the thoughts coming, please....I do appreciate them!


Ciels-
Michele

~Do Angels keep the dreams we seek
While our hearts lie bleeding?~

[PeteH 0]

War heroes to me are those who refuse to be blind pawns.

Like the Israeli soldiers who refuse to attack on Palestinean camps.
Or German soldiers at WWII who didn't follow orders and slay the civilians.
That takes much more balls than just to kill people the big brother calls the enemy.

[osuskydiver 0]

The guy in the foxhole next to you.


My old unit the 391st MP BN: 1.5 months down - 16.5 months left. Godd Bless guys.

By the time you read this you have already read it.

[Lee03 0]

What is a war hero? Good question. I'll try to give the perspective of someone who has been to war. I'm not a hero, I fought because it was my job, my duty, if you will, to fight. Mostly, I fought to stay alive and to keep my buddies around me alive. I did my job. I have several medals, but these don't make me a hero, A hero, to me is the guy that made the surpream sacrifice, that gave his life fighting along side and for his buddies. The heros are the ones that are still there and that will never come home. I don't think that the individual that has to stand up and proclaim that he is a hero in a display of "look at me, I'm a war hero", or for political gain, ala la John Kerry, is a hero. This is only a individual that is interested in himself and perverts the very meaning of the word hero. Yeah, he may have performed deeds considered heroic, and may have gotten medals in the process of these deeds, but he is not a hero, just a braggard. The real heros are the guys that went and did their jobs, the ones like Skymama's dad, or the friends and /or family members of the various members of this forum, that have gone to war, and the various members here that have done, or are still doing their jobs, in harms way over there, and countless ones like them. They are also the heros. Also, the ones that performed tasks above and beyond the call of and line of duty, and never tried to get recognision for what they did. They get medals, like Purple Hearts, Silver Stars, etc, but don't go bragging or advertising the fact. Heros are humble, not boastful braggards! Ask a real hero if he is a hero, and he will tell you no, that he is not. He doesn't consider himself a hero, just a person that did his job. These, to me are real war heros.

--------
To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities.

--Nevil Shute, Slide Rule

[JJohnson 0]

Actually they are heroes because of the fear. If it was no big deal, no sacrafice why would it matter.

It is those who are willing to sacrifce that are heroes.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[JJohnson 0]

Well said. I'll add another. Go to a VA hospital and talk to some of those that have sacrificed their physical and mental well being.

JJ

"Call me Darth Balls"

[nbblood 0]

Lee,
Great words, I agree and certainly appreciate your perspective.

Blues,
Nathan

Blues,
Nathan

If you wait 'til the last minute, it'll only take a minute.

[pajarito 0]

What is a "War" hero? I agree with an earlier post who considered that a war hero would be different for each person. I have my own recent experience but will not mention what I did or where I was in this forum. It doesn't hold a candle to who I feel is a hero to me. The person I looked up to the most who isn't here anymore was my Granddad. He was a member of "The Greatest Generation" when it was expected that you volunteer to serve your county in times of need. He served in the Army Infantry, was part of the amphibious invasion force at Beach Utah, and fought under some of the worst conditions I can imagine across France and Germany. He began the mission as a Platoon Sergeant but, during his tour, received a battlefield commission and, by the end, had been promoted to 1st Lieutenant. He received a Silver Star (for gallantry in action putting his life at great risk while saving a group of fallen soldiers), a Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart (and of course, a Combat Infantryman Badge). He was shot through the hip during The Battle of the Bulge, layed on a hospital bed for 9 months, and was sent back to the front lines. He was also involved in the liberation of Nazi concentration camps in Germany. The details of the stories that he used to tell me over and over again were graphic and detailed. I have the greatest respect for him. I can think of no other person that fits the description of a war hero to me.

[HRHSkyPrincess 0]

Well said, Marine. Very well said...
My dad was 'hero'. He was a Pearl Harbor veteran and rarely spoke of it. After he died I wrote to the Naval Personnel Records and obtained his military record. They also sent me the medals, stars, etc. he had received. It was a stunning surprise. So, you're right, the real heroes never talk about it or think they were. They just did what was necessary.

*****************
Attitude is everything!