OT: Extraordinary Acts of Valor (A Bit Late)

[Guest guest]

This young attorney has (in my opinion) the right attitude .. though it

might appear that he is suggesting that those who went in harm's way are

not necessarily heroes. Heroes are generally those who " reacted " to a

situation .. in a selfless manner .. with witnesses .. but there are so

many heroes who didn't have witnesses .. so we will never know the real

extent of their actions. One thing for sure .. this young attorney is

unlikely to become a member of the ACLU. ;-) Butch

 

Extraordinary Acts of Valor

 

For a soldier, going to war is a duty. Heroes go much further.

 

By Phillip Carter, PHILLIP CARTER, an attorney with McKenna Long &

Aldridge, served in Iraq with the Army's 101st Airborne Division.

 

November 11, 2006

 

COMING HOME from a combat zone is an alienating experience. America's

deepening civil-military divide crystallized for me two weeks after I

had returned from Iraq, while sitting at a Starbucks in the San Fernando

Valley. I looked around the cafe and saw a dozen people ordering coffee,

talking, reading and studying, while the baristas were busily serving

drinks. All of a sudden, it hit me. Even though we are a nation at war,

the war does not really seem to exist here in America.

 

Frequently over the last two months, my friends have referred to me and

other veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan as " heroes. " This has disturbed

me a great deal, forming another sort of alienation that is likely to

become particularly acute this Veterans Day. American society venerates

all soldiers as heroes, yet we in the military reserve that label for

those who truly go above and beyond the call of duty. To us, the

ordinary soldiers who merely served in harm's way, the label feels like

a garish shirt — it neither describes us well nor fits us comfortably.

 

During peacetime, I remember wondering how I would perform under fire

for the first time. I vividly recall my first raid in Iraq, when my team

hit its first improvised explosive device, thanking God and my training

that I did not wet my pants in fear. We stand in awe of those who, at

the moment of truth, can muster the moral and physical courage to stand

above the rest by rushing to a wounded comrade or into a hostile building.

 

Heroic legends, from the stories of Homer to the modern-day medal

citations in Iraq, are passed on from sergeants to privates, captains to

lieutenants. We mark these men and women with ribbons and medals to

reward their heroism, but also to establish these warriors as role

models whose example might encourage the rest of us soldiers.

 

Civilian society venerates its heroes too, often for similar reasons.

Who can forget the example of the firefighters and police officers who

rushed into the burning World Trade Center on Sept. 11? But in today's

society, the mere act of volunteering for military service has somehow

mutated into a heroic act.

 

Less than 1% of our country wears a military uniform; fewer still have

served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Instead of being seen as a duty that

should be borne by all, military service has been transformed into an

elective chosen by the few. Today, with America at war, the burden of

service is heavy, but it is not wide. Small military communities such as

Oceanside, Calif.; and Clarksville, Tenn., feel the human cost of this

war, but they are unusual in America. And so we lavish praise on those

who make this decision, regardless of whether their choice is owed to

personal patriotism, ambition or a quest for opportunity.

 

Soldiers and civilians also share a different moral code, something

highlighted by those different definitions of heroism. Soldiers exist

for their team; they will do anything for love of their brothers and

sisters in uniform. Civilians, by contrast, live for themselves.

 

Americans have become the quintessential rational actors of economic

lore — pursuing their self-interest above all else, seeking enrichment

and gratification.

 

To be sure, Americans engage in a great deal of altruism, and this is to

be praised too. But the sporadic acts of selfless service performed by

civilians cannot compare to the life of service chosen by our military

personnel.

 

So when civilians approach us in airports and cafes to thank us for our

service, it frequently causes some degree of discomfort and alienation.

Although grateful for the warm reception, many of us don't know how to

respond. Our service means a great deal to us. We will never forget the

sacrifices, hardships or experiences we had in combat, nor will we ever

forget those with whom we served. But I have never felt that such

service merits praise, and certainly not the label of heroism.

 

I judge myself by the code of a warrior. That ethos demands selfless

service, not aggrandizement. It praises the team, not the individual.

And it saves its highest accolades for those who distinguish themselves

through extraordinary acts of valor. As veterans, we know the real

heroes among us; many of them did not come home. Awarding this

distinction to everyone cheapens the accomplishments of those who earned

it — and makes the rest of us feel guilty that we have somehow stolen

recognition from the worthy.

 

On this Veterans Day, many Americans will pause for a moment to think of

service to the nation and of those who have worn the uniform on their

behalf. At a time when such a small fraction of our country serves, it

may be just one of two days a year (the other being Memorial Day) when

this occurs in any meaningful way. But when you talk to us, or about us,

this Veterans Day, please don't call us heroes. Save that label for

those warriors who truly deserve it. I was just doing my duty.

 

Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times