EVEN WITH THEIR SACRIFICES, SOLDIERS SHOULD NOT ALWAYS BE SEEN AS HEROES

The detached voice of the soldier I heard in a radio interview revealed the brutalities he had witnessed while fighting in Afghanistan. He was a “hero.” At least that’s what his family and friends told him. But he didn’t feel the same. In fact, he confessed that he had felt so hopeless and unworthy that he had long contemplated taking his own life. The only thing that had stopped him from doing so was the thought of marrying his fiancée.

The interview reminded me of a song by British songwriters Mitch Murray and Peter Callander called “Billy Don’t Be a Hero.” The song was released in 1974 and was associated with the Vietnam War. It’s about Billy, a young soldier who has decided to join the Army, and his fiancée who doesn’t want him to go. She begs:

“Billy, don’t be a hero, don’t be a fool with your life

“Billy, don’t be a hero, come back and make me your wife.”

The melody of a marching band and war drums resonate in the background, as Billy departs. The song ends with a background singer lamenting:

“I heard his fiancée got a letter

“That told how Billy died that day

“The letter said he was a hero “She should be proud he died that way

“I heard she threw the letter away.”

I always thought the gesture of the fiancée was significant. She didn’t care if Billy was considered a hero. He had lost his life because he chose war over starting a family. She, on the other hand, respected life, not war.

But throughout history, many, if not most people, consider being a soldier and joining a war heroic. But should soldiers be considered heroes? Before answering this question, let’s consider a scenario. On a battlefield, stand a soldier and a villain. They are both holding weapons and are programmed to fight. At this point, a fine line divides their differences. And sometimes — many times — during a battle, this line fades.

One could argue that soldiers fight for the “right” causes such as defending and protecting their country. The villains could argue the same. Besides, what exactly are they defending? Freedom, or the interest of politicians, dictators, religious radicals or corrupt corporations? In most cases, soldiers are merely defending other people’s dogmas and interests.

To be clear, there’s no question that soldiers take huge risks and make tremendous sacrifices. But to say that soldiers are automatically heroes is not reasonable. They are service members taking orders from their superiors. At least, that’s the case in countries where soldiers voluntarily join the military, like the United States.

Each year, the United States spends billions of dollars on the Army, Air Force and Navy. Billions more go into militaryrelated entities such as combat training, weapons production and nuclear weapons research. Globally, the U.S. military budget is significantly larger than any other military power.

But costlier than the money spent is the emotional toll war has on soldiers and their families. Many soldiers suffer from serious, long-term mental health problems, due to their services. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, about 29 percent of Iraq, 21 percent of the Persian Gulf and 10 percent of Vietnam war veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lives. Albeit, the percentages are probably a lot higher, as many who suffer from this disorder do not report it.

Other statistics reveal that the average number of veteran suicides per day rose from 16.4 in 2001 to 16.8 in 2020, with the highest rate in 2018 (18.6 per day). That is about 126 each week, and 6,552 each year. Moreover, soldiers with PTSD are more likely to be addicted to drugs and alcohol, commit domestic violence, get divorced, lose their jobs and become homeless.

These facts and statistics reveal a picture that is neither glorious nor heroic. So perhaps it’s not the warrior-like qualities that define a hero. Quite the opposite. Real heroes create, not destroy. They are the ones who stick around and build their communities. They teach and inspire. Teachers, builders, bakers and artists are heroes. Men and women who choose to stay with their families rather than go to war are heroes.

History will repeat itself unless perspectives are changed, and ideas are redefined. Unless we realize that Billy was not a hero; his fiancée was!

One could argue that soldiers fight for the “right” causes such as defending and protecting their country. But in most cases, soldiers are just following orders to defend other people’s dogmas and interests.