We're sick of everyone who wears a military uniform being called a 'hero'

JPWREL says this:

Permit me to paraphrase Winston
Churchill's words about heroism. "People often act heroically because they
don't understand the dangers that lie ahead. But some see those dangers,
and are afraid of them but do what they do in spite of their fears. No
man can be braver than that."

We have a very special regard for
those that consciously consider the risks that lie ahead in moments of great
peril and yet through skill, willpower, and a selfless sense of duty perform
feats of courage. They are in fact 'heroic' in its classic sense, and
exceed the ordinary measure of honorably performed duty done in times of
danger. 

Sadly, as Americans we have
devalued the word 'hero' by applying it to merely the performance of one's
responsibility, much like parents today overly praise their children for
everyday accomplishments. Particularly, especially in the media the
expression 'hero' seems generic and contains a disturbing element of
pandering. 

Today, there is a vast void
between those that wear a uniform and go in harm's way and those that
don't. We watch from afar as uneasy spectators as our countrymen suffer
death and wounds of the flesh and mind for causes we often hold in doubt. So we revert to a hyperbole of gratitude that is seemingly harmless but in fact
laced with insincerity.

By diminishing the value of the
expression 'hero' to encompass the ordinary, how do we describe the 'extraordinary' intrepidness of the likes of Joe Foss, Eugene Fluckey, 'Butch' O'Hara,
John Basilone, and a host of others of such formidable stature? What other
term can we reserve for very special people who have transcended fear and
danger time and again and performed beyond the call of duty?

Rubber Ducky adds:

Is it just me or has the common
use of the phrase 'hero' gone completely out of control? I've known heroes,
Medal of Honor winners like Dick O'Kane (godfather of 'the new TANG' in which I
served as XO), Pat Brady, with whom I played a lot of handball, and Jay Vargas,
a National classmate. These guys and their ilk are heroes; for them the concept
was crafted. 

But I've never claimed that any
of my 37 years' service was 'heroic,' nor would I attribute heroism per se to
those I served with, even the friends I lost in THRESHER and SCORPION. 

I think it gives the civilian
population yet another reason to ignore war and those now fighting to let them
call everyone a hero. And it cheapens the real thing. 

What do you say?