Our Heroes

This fellow Bowe Bergdahl is in the news after his release from captivity in Afghanistan.  There seems to be some confusion as to whether he qualifies as a hero or not. 

This whole "heroes" thing has gotten way out of hand.  Somewhere around the turn of the century the qualifications for hero status came down dramatically.  After 9/11, all of the responders became heroes, and over the course of the several wars that followed virtually every single man and woman in uniform has become a hero.  "Our Heroes," we call them, all of them, indiscriminately. 

This has always bothered me, because there are always a few in the military who actually are heroes.  By virtue of their actions, and according to a set of criteria that has developed over the centuries.  Ordinary courage under fire does not qualify one as a hero.  It takes selfless devotion to a goal, a reckless disregard of one's own safety, supernatural effort and superb results. 

For a good example, look up the exploits of John Basilone in the Pacific. 

Officers can be heroic, but it's harder to tell with them.  Medals are given to officers as freely as appetizers are passed out at cocktail parties.  You want to find a real hero?  Try any enlisted man who received at least a Bronze Star, and lived.  Recipients who died in the act are often awarded Bronze Stars for political reasons.  Any enlisted man who lived to receive it must have done something really remarkable.  Something heroic, almost certainly. 

We need to stop throwing around the term "hero." It's not fair to the real heroes.  

I'm not suggesting any particular status for Bowe Bergdahl, but I don't think that we have any reason so far to condemn him.  He is one of our soldiers, and he deserves to be treated with the respect that we should give to any of them.  If they are all heroes, then he's a hero too.  Some people thrive under military discipline; others do not.  Some people perform well, perhaps even heroically; others less well.  All of them deserve our understanding and appreciation in full measure. 

So whatever you hear about Mr. Bergdahl, do not judge him harshly.  He's our boy, and the odds are that he did his best.