A thought from a Navy veteran. Well worth reading the entire blog post, though:
How The Heroes Die
Quote:
To paint all veterans as heroes, superior above other citizens, worthy of worship and compulsory respect, gives lie to the equality of democracy and makes such status enviable.
That, right there, is why Stolen Valor is such a thriving business.
That, right there, is why our society is a brim with military fakers and ersatz war heroes. They show up at every parade and hang out in front of the VA, they polish their stolen medals to a golden glow and tell stolen war stories replete with glorious battles that exist only in their minds, all with false aw shucks humility and grim steely-eyed false heroism.
And they lap it up, your wide eyed unquestioning admiration, because it feeds their empty souls.
These people are parasites, thriving on our mandatory respect and wide-eyed unconditional hero worship. They exist because of your admiration, without it they would wither and die. But the damage they do is limited and they are typically found out and shamed when their duplicity crosses that of a real veteran.
Far, far worse than the posers, this national hero worship compels the dull-witted and the small and mean to join up for all the wrong reasons.
There is little worse in the ranks, and nothing worse – absolutely nothing – in the officer corps, than those who want to be heroes.
We’ve all encountered them, those of us who served. The commanders and the lieutenants and the majors who practice their Medal of Honor acceptance speech in front of the shaving mirror each morning, the one that begins, “Thank you Mr. President, I’m sorry all my men were killed, but I’m grateful to accept this award on their behalf…” We’ve all served under the senior NCO who dreamed of a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart and the tales of glory he would tell to the doe-eyed girls back home who would then coo over his manly scars and jump ready and eager into bed with a hero.
Those are the kind of people who get other soldiers killed.
They’re not there to defend the country, the oath means nothing to them, they crave only glory and the admiration of a grateful nation.
Worst of all, writ large, this idea makes war itself desirable, for only in such a crucible can heroism be forged.
And then war becomes the norm instead of the exception.
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Cheers,
bcg
Happy Veteran's Day
