Why are soldiers who are killed always called brave and heroic?

Question

Serious Q and I certainly don't mean to trivialise the sacrifice that they make..

More along the lines of which soldier is braver.. the one who fires smart weapons from an increasingly safer distance who has technologically greater strength or one on the ground? What constitutes heroism/bravery.. it is used so often it is now almost an empty cliche..

An issue that also troubled Socrates..just wondered what the modern slant on this was?

As an aside - I also note how in days gone by Kings for example would ride with their men into war - politicians now stand well back.. also on the subject of war I think it is interesting to note that governments with more women on the cabinet start and get involved in less wars..

FTR - I am a pacifist too.. lol (yeah yeah - one of those)

No - that is not what I mean.. does being a soldier therefore make one a great person? No - over 90% of female military personel recently reported to having experienced or witness lewd sexual harassment.. I am sure there ARE great soldiers, but like in any job there must some who are not so great too.. hence I wondered why they were all posthumously honoured.. does that not detract from the really brave (depending on your definition) and heroic ones? Or does dying itself constitute bravery/heroism?

The consensus seems to be that they chose to go to war to defend all the rest of us but this is not true..they chose to join the army and as daft as it sounds most never really consider they will be the one to die in actual combat! For them it is their job - when charitable workers or civillians die they are not labelled brave and heroic even though they have chosen to stay or go to the same war zone..Plus compared to other troops western casualties are minimal..

They are not there for my benefit - they are there often for the agenda of our government which often is linked to oil..

If they are defending freedom - why are we all so constrained in our actions!? Freedom to a certain extent is an illusion - at any point in time we are steered towards certain behaviours over others or there will be negative consequences.. I could not choose to opt out of society tomorrow..there are many structures which constrain the 'free' choices we are supposed to make..

Answer 1

Because they are brave and heroic individuals...more so than those who call themselves pasificists and sit at home and reap the benefits of what soldiers like them have given us.
They have responded when their country and gov't called on them and asked them to sign up and fight for us.
Granted, no one wants to go to war, but the ones that do when called upon are heroes.
My brother spent 18 months in Iraq, getting shot at daily, and witnessing several of his friends die in the worse of the fighting. He recently reupped for another 4 year term, even though he knows he will be going back to Iraq in October. Knowing that there is chance that he won't come back to his wife and two little children. But he does this willingly, because he knows it is in their best interest that terrorism is destroyed, and is willing to die so that his family may stay free and safe.
If that isn't the definition of hero, than I want to hear what it is.
I know a lot of people say, they're just doing their jobs, what they're paid to do...by that same token, so are cops and firefighters, but they also put their lives on the line daily to save others, and they are called heros and brave as well. You going to tell them that they aren't?

Answer 2

Can I ask a question: What is this American thing about calling people a liberal like it is a bad thing? Don't Americans go on about the US being a land of liberty? It really is strange!

I can see your point, when someone who is a chef dies when there kitchen is attacked, they were not exactley fighting the war, so whya re they called heroic? Though, I am not saying they are cowards or anything like that.

I do believe that there are still heroes in the military today though, and you still hear about it. You probably do not hear about most acts of heroism though, especially as some operations must be kept secret or the military likes to keep them quiet for security purposes. Bravery, after all, is doing something even when your afraid. And sticking your head above the parapet to fire back at an enemy even though you do not want to die is brave, and most soldiers would do that when attacked. So, many fo the dead soldiers died because they did not stay under cover where it was safe, and are therefore brave and heroic.

Answer 3

I think that its because being in the military is the only job in the world where you are expected to put your life at risk with people actively trying to kill you every day.

Therefore simply joining makes you either brave or stupid, and I don't think newspaper headlines which talk about another stupid person dying in the line of duty would quite convey the right message.

I do note your final line about governments with women being less likely to get into wars and beg to disagree. Look at the record of those countries which have been ruled or governed by women in the last century.

Britain - Margaret Thatcher - Falklands War
India - Indira Ghandi - Various wars with neighbours
Israel - Golda-Meyer - Various wars with neighbours
Agentina - Peron - Internal genocide of political opponents

Its pretty much a 100% war rate, as opposed to a much lower precentage in male run countries.

Interestingly the two countries which get the most critisim at the moment for their policies are Britain and the USA, both of which have a higher than ever percentage of women in high office.

You also make the point that they are not fighting for you, and then you say that they are fighting for oil.

In that you are contradicting yourself, because without oil you would not have the computer which you are tyoing this question on, you would not be able to afford food, apart from what you could grow, you probably would not have a job, and potentially have to weave your own clothes from whatever you could scrounge.

Therefore if all wars are for oil (which they are not) then the soldiers would in fact be fighting for you as your whole life is dependant on it.

As for Chup (following answer), I am flattered that you think I am wrong about a lot of things. Having read your drivel I am delighted that I have a different view. Cheers!

Answer 4

It's called PR. And no army wants to be seen as weak, unready or incompetent (even though they often are).

In some cases soldiers are truly heroic and act with gallantry and bravery, in situations they were never really prepared for. I know what I am talking about, since I have been wounded three times, crashed with a helicopter once, and had a house collapsing on top of me due to opposition artillery fire. But often people are just killed because their time was up, they were careless or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Important for a soldier is that he knows what he is fighting for and supports the casus belli psycologically. The occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Israel's aggression against Lebanon, are illegal and immoral operations and therefore soldiers are in a big personal conflict. Would I still be active, I would refuse to go to Iraq or Afghanistan. And I would even have a legal right to do that.

Answer 5

I'm in the British Army and have just seen some of the answers from people who have obviously never gone to a war zone before. The reason they are called brave and heroic is because they had the courage to go there and fight for a cause which may or may not mean anything to them but they go anyway. Above all that its extremely hard in a war zone and for those of you out there that have done it then you will agree that it takes a certain type of individual to pick up their bags, leave their families for 6 months with no contact until ceasefire and do a job no matter how small that will change your life forever. I'm on anti depressants now after Gulf War 2 for the amount of mind hassling things i saw and heard. You help people in the street like young kids who have nothing to do with the war to safety and give them first aid, whilst watching your mates back in case insurgents fire rounds at you or even RP-Gs for that matter or road side bombs that are hidden from the eye.

That's why we deserve to be called heroic and that's why we are brave.
We have the best army in the world and that's because of the reputation we have built up for years and years.

Ladies and gentlemen please believe me when i say that War is not nice but it sometimes has to happen and people like myself are sent there to do it so give us some credit for a job that all soldiers are proud of. DEFENDING YOU!!!!!

Answer 6

As an ex-soldier with a degree in philosophy maybe I can answer.
First, using a smart weapon doesn't make you a coward. Bombing other people means they will probably be bombing you (or your loved ones) too.
Having said that squatting in a dugout with a bayonet for company is not to be recommended if you have a weak heart. I know.
Second thing, cowards run or never even get started. So they never die. Those that do die might be stupid, gullible and a thousand and one other things - but they might have also died knowing they were going to die. They died a hero in other words. Who is to know what they died as? Its best to label them all as heroes, eh?
I appreciate your concerns over war, honestly. But those societies incapable or unwilling of waging war ultimately end up as corrupt and slave-riven. Not always by outsiders note, this democracy is fast becoming slave-riven in my view because too few people will stand up to the EU, Blair and the tyranny of this corrupt parliament.
In the long run society is healthiest when it fights. It stays healthier when it picks the right fights of course, that goes without saying. But the original point remains.
You are right about Kings dying in battle. Most soldiers feel nothing but contempt for the likes of, say, Blair. They would die though for their mates, their section leaders their regiment etc etc.
I am sorry if you do not my answer. At least I gave you credit for asking a serious question.

Answer 7

I think it is because they are brave enough to take that step and be put into that position in the first place. Political and religious beliefs aside, a person who is willing to sacrifice their own existence for the sake of others is heroic. Now, having said that, I don't always agree with the reasoning behind such acts. Sometimes, they are stupid and serve no direct cause other than proving a political or religious point. Now, my definition of a hero is a bit simpler. I think teachers are heroic. No matter what country in the world, they have the entire hopes and dreams of the world upon their shoulders and they get paid next to nothing. Same goes for police, firemen, nurses, and sanitary workers. Yes. Sanitary workers. Imagine a world without them. Who would want to live there? Also, can you imagine doing that job? Who knows the crap people throw out. Somebody has to do the job, and in my mind, they are heroes for doing it...

Answer 8

All soldiers who have died, did so selflessly defending YOUR right for free speech, and way of life. Those who died during conflicts and wars are brave and heroic because they died for you and defending their frinds. Every soldier is taught how to kill, very few actually do, for those that do it is not done lightly, I know.
Now if you realy want to know why they are called heroic and brave,, ask your friends or yourself, would you defend your Country, Culture and Belief without thinking about it?
All British soldiers swear allegiance to the Queen, and in that oath we swear to defend our Soverign boarders and aide allies.
No soldier is braver than the other, it is the situation at the time. Some are nore risky than the other,and as all British soldiers are professional, as the oath goes they will die defending this Great Country. Would you?

As a pacafist you should know better than to ask a question about who is brave or heroic.

but if you want a cliche....
Get off your fat @rse join the army and learn a bit of self respect and self worth.

Now if you try and say some illegal organisation is doing that as well, then you do not understand the difference between a professional soldier and a terrorist. The clue is in the the names. PROFESSIONAL SOLDIER - TERRORIST, one comits act of TERROR against inocent people, to exhort some financial gain for them selves, not the country they come from.

Answer 9

The reason they are sometimes called heroic and brave is that they sometimes might have to go in to and fight irresponsibele to save the rest of their platoon(they sacriface themselves). But mostly the reasons is that because they are stupid to not take cover and only try to kill the enemy and not try to stay alive at the same time fighting(They want the fighting to be over they are cowards). The point is that the one who stays back and with a good weapon is the braver one because they know that if they die the ret of their platoon would have a less chance of surviving.

In the old days the kings did not ride their men into battle. They would become kings by going on crusades and stealing money and using it to build a castle and conquere land and build a castle. A king would only go into battle if they united their country and fought to protect that land like the old kings of most asian countries.

I agree with you on the subject that countries with more women in politics have less wars.

SNOWY is wrong about a lot of things.

Answer 10

Your question, unlike so many others asked in this forum, is worthy of a reply.

A "true" hero never anoints hiself/herself with that title. It is for those of us, the defended who stand in relative safety away from the fighting, to designate the brave and heroic. And so you have every right to question our criteria and our choices and to espouse your own. As for me, I view our police officers as brave merely for taking on the job of protecting us from criminals. Yes, they are paid, but not nearly enough for the risks they must take; and they could have just as easily sought their living in another career. I feel the same about all our military volunteers. I believe bravery lies in the mere act of accepting danger, as these men and women do every day. Heroism is an instance of that bravery in action. The more self-sacrifing the deed, the more heroic it is.

I don't believe couage and bravery are limited exclusively to those in actual combat. A true moral leader may order men into combat, but will bear the weight of each individual soldier's life on their conscience. Such a decision, I believe, reguires much courage. Abrahham Lincoln comes to mind as an example.