Heroism is not necessarily an act of following orders. The men who landed on Normandy Beach (and I knew some in my lifetime) refused to allow themselves to be called heroes when in their own words they were following orders. They were ‘brave’ and they are to be admired and respected as their deaths were a near certainty.
One of them I talked to 30 years ago, I asked “what were you all thinking when you were in the landing craft ready to run onto the beach?” His response was “we had accepted we were already dead”.
In response to my remark to him that he and the others onboard with him were heroes he responded “no, we were following orders, nothing more”.
The word ‘hero’ is defined by acts of heroism which are acts that go above and beyond what is called-for, beyond what is ‘ordered’. It is heartfelt and warm to think of all of our men and women in uniform as heroes but it diminishes the meaning of true acts of heroism.
Heroism is not necessarily an act of following orders. The men who landed on Normandy Beach (and I knew some in my lifetime) refused to allow themselves to be called heroes when in their own words they were following orders. They were ‘brave’ and they are to be admired and respected as their deaths were a near certainty.
Well stated. My now departed Dad was one of them, and many many years ago stated exactly that. In his words “ the heroes are those who aren’t with us anymore” they gave their lives so you and I could be free.
P.S. He was a Navy Medic who landed on Normandy so knew of what he spoke in a simple straight forward manner.