Band Of Brothers, Real Heros

[Kuan]

I am about halfway through band of brothers and it is amazing what they went through. So I have been thinking, these guys are real heros, then I thought. What constitutes a real hero? How many people will live their life and they could be a hero but we will never know about them?

[Zzyzx]

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I am about halfway through band of brothers and it is amazing what they went through. So I have been thinking, these guys are real heros, then I thought. What constitutes a real hero? How many people will live their life and they could be a hero but we will never know about them?

If "Band of Brothers" refers to the book about the 101st Airborne Division during WWII by Stephen Ambrose, I served in that division fifteen years after their exploits. The "Big War" Veterans had largely retired by my time but there were a number of Korean War Vets still serving.

Although my tour of duty (1958 to 61) was during "peacetime", the unit still reflected at least some of the spirit of those earlier heroes. My commanding officer comes to mind -- a Captain who had been "battlefield commissioned" during Korea. He started as a Corporal, and everybody ahead of him was killed or wounded. We would have followed him "into the face of hell" because if we were to come back it would be due to his abilities and knowledge, not ours. And, if we didn't come back we would have "taken a lot of 'em with us".

None of us were heroes, but "walking in the footsteps of giants" had a profound effect on many of us. It certainly had on me and upon my life during the fifty years since then.


Z

[Kuan]

.

I am about halfway through band of brothers and it is amazing what they went through. So I have been thinking, these guys are real heros, then I thought. What constitutes a real hero? How many people will live their life and they could be a hero but we will never know about them?

If your "Band of Brothers" refers to the book about the 101st Airborne Division during WWII by Stephen Ambrose, I served in that division fifteen years after their exploits. The "Big War" Veterans had largely retired by my time but there were a number of Korean War Vets still serving.

Although my tour of duty (1958 to 61) was during "peacetime", the unit still reflected at least some of the spirit of those earlier heroes. My commanding officer comes to mind -- a Captain who had been "battlefield commissioned" during Korea. He started as a Corporal, and everybody ahead of him was killed or wounded. We would have followed him "into the face of hell" because if we were to come back it would be due to his abilities and knowledge, not ours. And, if we didn't come back we would have "taken a lot of 'em with us".

None of us were heroes, but "walking in the footsteps of giants" had a profound effect on many of us. It certainly had on me and upon my life during the fifty years since then.

See thats awesome stuff. I have heard many veterans say that they aren't heros, but to me they are. You did what others were scared to, maybe thats one attribute.

[Zzyzx]

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You did what others were scared to, maybe thats one attribute.

Actually, we jumped out of airplanes in fright -- err, I mean in FLIGHT (with maybe a bit of the former thrown in). It was quite a relief to feel the chute open -- because it was only about nine seconds to a very unpleasant experience without it, from standard jump altitude (1250 feet).

BTW, there is no such thing as a "perfectly good airplane" as some are prone to say they would not jump out of. All airplanes have some defects -- only occasionally severe enough to render them not air worthy.

Jumping was actually not too challenging. Jump school was more of a challenge, though not near a rough as some make it out to be. After two weeks of that intensive training, though, it was almost a relief to finally get to jump. I wrote in my jump log before that first jump, "What the hell am I doing here?"

I can hardly imagine what it must have been like for those who jumped in on Bastogne and other wartime objectives.

[Kuan]

See you could do what I cant. I have a hard time jumping off a bridge. I think its amazing what anyone in the military has accomplished, the people I respect the most in my life have all been involved in the police, military or the secret service. See I can barely comprehend what it was like for you.

[cnorman18]

For my money, anybody who signs up to defend this country is a hero. Some have to prove it; some are luckier. But they all take the chance and step up.

My dad was an ordinary seaman on a troopship in the Pacific in WWII. My students used to ask me if he was a war hero: I always said, "He sure was."

"What did he do?" they'd ask.

I'd say, "He left his wife and family to defend this nation, and he worked his butt off, got shot at, and got paid peanuts and ate Navy beans for four long years." Any veteran -- especially the ones with the most medals -- will tell you that the REAL heroes were the guys who didn't come home. My hat is off to them all, and I'm grateful.

Whether I believed in the wars they fought in or not. That was above their pay grade, and they all knew it when they signed up. Blame the guys who sent them if you don't like the wars; not the guys -- and now, the women -- who serve.

[Kuan]

I agree with you cnorman, thats well explained.

[LiamOS]

I can't honestly say that anybody who joins the army is a hero.

Granted, people do heroic things during war, but it's not the participation in the war that makes them heroic.

[Zzyzx]

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I had a friend (who is gone now) that was one of the heroes of the Pacific theater. He flew Corsairs from improvised island airfields (and perhaps later from aircraft carriers?). He NEVER spoke about his experience, even when asked. I didn't know what he had done until a mutual friend said "look Bill up in the Book of Aces". I did. He had shot down eight enemy aircraft and been shot down himself.

I thanked him for what he had done for all of us and told him that I would have been with them if they hadn't entered the war when I was only two years old.

[Lux]

I can't honestly say that anybody who joins the army is a hero.

Granted, people do heroic things during war, but it's not the participation in the war that makes them heroic.

I'd have to agree. The reasons for joining the Army are so diverse that I would never say that everybody that signs up is a hero.

I know a few veterans, and I dislike a couple of them a great deal. One of them is closely blood-related to me, and hearing him talk about the wars he's been in and how he hopes he "killed all those bastards" just makes me sick, to be quite honest.

Some veterans are true heroes, but I can't say that I automatically admire all vets.

Edit: I hate typos.