What happened to the hero?
According to what I've been taught, thus handed down, is that heroes lived before the Vietnam War. I don't believe that those who fought or fight today to defeat tyranny in defense of liberty are or were not heroes. I'm simply stating the message handed down to my generation.
Case in point: simply contrast the Vietnam War Memorial to any World War II memorial.
WWII memorials represent the bravest and honorable men defending freedom across the world. For example the famous Iwo Jima statue or our national WWII memorial. The Iwo Jima statue shows men boldly raising the flag as a band of brothers. The national WWII memorial is open, bold, proud, speaking of courage and confidence.
While in contrast the Vietnam memorial is dark, depressing and speaks of fallen soldiers. Each represents different times and different wars, however, the memorials speak loudly on the change of heart men have for defending and protecting the freedom of those who face tyranny.
This contrast points to what happened to the hero in the United States. Heroes lived before the Vietnam War because that's when war no longer could be about "defeating tyranny in defense of liberty." War can only be an offensive attack, at best a mistake, even worse a lie. And today war is generally assumed to be a lie.
So what does being a hero have to do with war? That goes to the question of what is a hero. And worse yet, we no longer teach what a hero is. They simply lived before the Vietnam War.
(this is an excerpt from my series, I Am Man)
