Thread: What is a Hero?

I've noticed a recent trend to use the word "hero" to any soldier, sailor or airman who dies on current operations. Does being killed on operations actually make you a hero? The definition of hero in the dictionary is:

"A person who is admired for having done something very brave or having achieved something great"

I realise sentimentality plays an important role in the death of any serviceman (or woman) but does being killed on operations make you a hero? If not, why not? If so, why?

Can of worms.......check

Tin opener....... check

How long do you reckon before the mongs are unleashed and you are flamed like a BK whopper?

If you dont know, what are you doing on this site

I don't think being killed automatically qualifies you as a hero
However I would sooner see a serviceman given the task than some twat getting it for playing football
The word Hero has been devalued with it being labelled to anyone who seems able to do there job to a reasonable standard

Originally Posted by tropper66

If you dont know, what are you doing on this site

I'm sure that Falsch is more than aware what constitutes a hero. He was asking opinions. I'm also more than sure it doesn't apply to some hat, falling asleep on stag and getting a couple of .38 for his efforts.

I will be honest here, and say I for one, do not like the term hero being used so freely.
To me, a hero is someone who does that bit more than the average and goes beyond the bounds of "just doing his job"

Dont get me wrong, any man or woman, who dies in the line of duty should be honoured and given full honours to that effect, however, to say every man or woman who is killed in the line of duty a hero, for me, belittles the term hero.

A soldier who throws himself on a hand grenade (re the marine) to save his oppos, is a hero, the medic who runs out under fire to try and help an injured soldier, is a hero, the list goes on, but the term is being used for anything and everything of late, and it sort of loses its status in so doing.

H4H is a worthy cause and rightly so, however, the British army has been in many conflicts over the years, and its only recently that the term "hero" has been banded about so freely.

Being killed in the line of duty makes you someone to be honoured, it doesnt make you a hero, as the term of the word goes.

I hope this isnt taken in the wrong way, I do not mean to belittle the life of people killed in action, I just think the term is used wrongly in the modern area of warfare.

If that makes sense?

Quote.........being killed on operations doesn't make you a hero, it just makes you dead unless you died whilst in the act of carrying out an heroic deed.......

I've lifted this from a wise man on another thread, I agree with him.

I think the blokes who saved my life where Heros

Originally Posted by FiveAlpha

I'm sure that Falsch is more than aware what constitutes a hero. He was asking opinions. I'm also more than sure it doesn't apply to some hat, falling asleep on stag and getting a couple of .38 for his efforts.

DingDing personally I feel that everyone of us who joins up is a hero, forget the terminology

Anyone who signs on the dotted line for HM to go through basic and then on ops - each and everyone a hero.

Boring answer, but true.

Edited to add: fookin 'ell Spanish Dave - got there before me. :D

Whilst the public are behind the forces, and they are in the buckets full at the minute, if they want to call every tom, dick and Herbivore a hero, let them.

Sooner be labled heroes than baby killing dog rapers or squaddie scum.

I don't like to use the word hero, not unless its being etched on my underpants.

the Help4heroes brand probably went someway towards the way troops re labelled, is there any harm in it?

Originally Posted by tropper66

If you dont know, what are you doing on this site

I know what a hero is. I've seen many living and dead. I didn't say i didn't know you fuckwit. I'm asking what peoples perceptions are.

Originally Posted by FiveAlpha

Originally Posted by tropper66

If you dont know, what are you doing on this site

I'm sure that Falsch is more than aware what constitutes a hero. He was asking opinions. I'm also more than sure it doesn't apply to some hat, falling asleep on stag and getting a couple of .38 for his efforts.

Thank you I did not expect any thing more from our primate red hattedfriends

Originally Posted by Mighty_doh_nut

Whilst the public are behind the forces, and they are in the buckets full at the minute, if they want to call every tom, dick and Herbivore a hero, let them.

Sooner be labled heroes than baby killing dog rapers or squaddie scum.

I don't like to use the word hero, not unless its being etched on my underpants.

the Help4heroes brand probably went someway towards the way troops re labelled, is there any harm in it?

A very good answer MDN and one i personally agree with.

Having worn uniform for sixteen years from the mid seventies, hero never entered my head. Family were proud, some of them. The odd civvy was interested and sometimes you felt a bit special. In the main though, no one gave a toss because the only "wars" going on were over the water and losses were not publicly mourned.

Different nowadays: current operations with men and women representing us and allies in war zones, losses reported too often, and some tales of extraordinary feats. Service men and women getting up everyday to fight in Afghan and Iraq. "Proper at it". No mention of others elsewhere, whose activities are not reported or rewarded.

Heroes? set them against the overpaid, the telly crowd, the "famous", the dancers and performers, homegrown layabouts and imported scroungers, hatemongers, the idle, the greedy and the have-all -want-more crowd who think their fame, cars and possessions, or their position mark them out.