Staff Writer
Paige Wilson
A solider is seen as someone who deserves respect, someone who has given all and asks for nothing in return. A person who sacrifices their life for ours and we even jump to the word hero.
Before the holidays, all of the My Advisory Period classes got together and wrote holiday cards for the soldiers. The majority of these cards contain cute pictures of snowmen and Christmas trees. They also have a similar message such as “Thank you for your sacrifice” or “Thank you for being a hero”. This all seemed pretty normal until my English teacher Michael Vergien made an announcement.
“Don’t thank them for being a hero,” Vergien said. “They don’t like to be called heroes. Instead tell them something they can’t know, like tell them about a trip to the new Cowboys stadium”.
This completely flipped the entire process that I heard learned since elementary. The military always demanded our highest appreciation. Now we’re supposed to see them as common.
But if you think about it, when you see a person in a uniform, your opinion of them completely changes from when they are in normal clothing. They stand out from the general public. When you first see a person in uniform, your mind automatically sees death, war, guns. It’s almost like a light shines down on him or her and appreciation fills our heart.
Should we consider them any differently? According to Vergien, we shouldn’t. When they signed up to be a part of the military they knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. A solider is not a hero because they are in Iraq. However, when soldiers are fighting there are some who set themselves apart from others in their heroic behavior.
“A solider isn’t a hero, but they can act heroically,” Vergien said.
It’s just like a job to them. However, instead of pushing buttons on a calculator, they go through rigorous training learning how to use weapons. And instead of making their daily commute in a car, theirs is in a tank or some type of a massive vehicle.
Soldiers don’t pick the easiest job. Their job requires a sacrifice that most of us don’t have to face in a lifetime. Student Resource Officer Jimenez is also a veteran who served in the current Iraq war, and he truly understands the sacrifices soldiers make.
“It meant a lot knowing that people appreciated the sacrifice I gave,” Jimenez said about receiving cards from people back home.
His stories of days without showers, extreme heat and poor living conditions were astonishing. They had to use their battlefield as a restroom. They could only drink water that was brought in and they didn’t have all the utilities we take advantage of everyday.
“I don’t consider myself a hero,” Jimenez said. “It’s weird to think of myself as a hero. I consider the people who served before me a hero”.
To him sacrifice and being a hero are two different things. He enjoyed knowing that someone appreciated what he was doing and it wasn’t a waste. It is strange for him to think of himself as a hero. The people who stormed beaches and faced massacre and soldiers who served in Vietnam are the real heroes to him.
For all veterans and current soldiers their definition of a hero is different. They might enjoy themselves being portrayed in that light or like the complete opposite. Soldiers should be appreciated but, not so rushed to say they are a hero.
It is undeniable that soldiers perform an enormous service to their country and along with that service comes sacrifice including possible death, but should we be so quick to say that they are a hero. Next time you write your letter to the soldiers you might try to break away from the traditional format and actually think of something they couldn’t know.
