I spent 7 years in uniform. I can clearly attest that not all who wear the uniform are heroes, and not nearly as many as some think are brave just because they went thru boot camp, and those that truly are heroes do not consider themselves to be such.
Like medals given out like candy now just because someone showed up and went thru boot camp and their advanced training, the basic requirement of anyone, the "hero" termed has been cheapened quite bit.
We have even cheapened the dignity of flying flags at half mast. It happens so often that now I wonder if the latest reason is because a military dog took a dirt nap from eating bad MRE's.
My time in was when it was not a good thing for a military person to wear their uniform off base for fear of ridicule and scorn. We traveled in civilian clothes, even when done for military purposes. And many of us, when we left that behind, didn't mention military service even on our job resume's. It was a bizarre time. You just kept your mouth shut and acted like nothing happened. It was just a black hole in time. You dealt with it or you didn't. You kept inside the details and spent the rest of your life trying to come to grips with.
I fully understand the sentiment now, and many in the country don't want to make the same mistakes they did after Viet Nam. But it has gone to the extreme and the pendulum has swung wildly in the other direction now. Sure, thank a soldier, sailor, marine, airman, cop, fireman, etc for their service. Buy their lunch when you see them in a restaurant. But don't take things to extremes. It cheapens the honor that should go to those who have gone above and beyond.
There are heroes today, just as in days gone by. But they are few and far between just like in days gone by. The Jessica Lynch story is one example of taking this stuff way overboard. To her credit, she disputed the claims and refused to accept that her service was anything remotely heroic. It wasn't. But her stand against the foolishness of the media and those in power is indeed a credit to her character. It took some courage to stand against the tide. If she is to be championed, it is for being a woman of great moral character. Especially since she did stand against the falsehoods, the establishment virtually threw her under the bus. She wouldn't play the game.
Would it be so that many others had such guts. Yes, even those in uniform.