Soldiers have created their mark as the flag bearers of heroism. Are they really heroes? My answer to that is yes, and no. It is true that soldiers are a perfect example of the phrase “men of steel”, but symbolizing them as heroes for just their job as soldiers is mere injustice to a lot of others soldiers who make bigger sacrifices for their country. Pat Tillerson, for instance, did not go on to sacrifice his life for his country. Instead, he faced a tragic death in a war that he did not believe was even right. Politics might have covered up his death story but that does not make him a hero.
An example that I would like use as a comparison is the life of Captain Vikram Batra. Capt. Batra is known as the hero of Kargil War. He was one of the key members of the Indian National Army who led one of the toughest operations during the Kargil war in 1999. During the mission Batra was seriously injured but still managed to kill enemy soldiers in solo combats. He was a part of one of the most difficult missions that the Indian army attempted as the Pakistani forces were placed on a peak that was 16,000 ft high. He handled the mission all by himself and shooed away people with families so that they could return back home safely.
Pat Tillerson and Capt. Batra were both serving the nation but their stories were entirely different. So, to answer the question I asked before, I would say that soldiers are definitely courageous for the massive amount of sacrifices in their lives but whether or not they can be symbols of heroic activity should be carefully looked into before generalizing the term.
