About "military heroes"...
Couple of things...
A few years ago I was talking to an Army veteran who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day. He fought all the way through the war.
He was trapped in the Battle of the Bulge.
He was in the European Theater for what was called 'The Duration'.
The entire war in Europe.
No leave, no furlough, no time at home in the states.
His company liberated one of the concentration camps.
"I still have nightmares about that. Not combat and killing. Just those poor starved bastards in that compound."
I said something about him being a real hero.
His voice caught and he teared up.
"No, I'm not a hero. I just managed to survive somehow. The real heroes were the ones who didn't come back. Those are the guys who paid the ultimate price. Some were just unlucky, many gave their lives saving their buddies."
About just serving in the military...
In whatever capacity,whether you joined or were drafted, you signed a blank check.
It was payable to your country.
The amount would be filled in by your government and it could say "Your Life".
Just sayin'.