UKC

This gentleman ticks all the boxes for the title of hero. Colonel Tom really did put his life on the line for Queen and country.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52472132

Those medals on his chest are for real bravery.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/off_belay/colonel_tom-718836

Rather than hijack your OP, I was hoping to have a discussion on what a hero is, in my eyes, compared to contemporary role modles being placed on similar pedistals.

Colonel Tom fought for Queen and Country in hellholes such as Burma during the Second World War. For those who may not know what happened all those years ago, Google the Chindits as an example of what the war time conditions were like in the Far East.

I used to work in the Civil Service in the War Pensions Department, and I used to enjoy reading the medical records of our service men during both world wars. But that was until I was put on the Far Eastern Prisoner of War FEPOW section. After two days I stopped reading the files.

Indeed - after he died we found a load of poetry my grandfather had written while a POW in Burma....... 

He wouldn't kill the cockroaches in the greenhouse as, as he said "they would of made someone a good meal"

It really does depend on how you define `heroism'. If  you watch interviews with service people given medals for bravery most of them baulk at the description of themselves as `heroes', usually on the basis that `they were just doing their job'. It was what they were trained for, they'd volunteered, and their decision to take the rewarding actions was essentially automatic. So is `heroism' doing something brave, selfless, and dangerous in a situation where you are not obliged to act, realise the consequences, and do it anyway? Of course that can cover soldiers etc who go beyond what would be considered normal conduct, or go back into danger repeatedly (which is why medics are disproportionately rewarded).

So on one level, IMHO, it's entirely justified to call certain NHS staff (or care home workers) `heroes' for acting when they know they're putting themselves in danger, don't `have to' (i.e. they could refuse, as has been threatened), but do so anyway, to help others.

If I might be permitted a little pedantry, it'd have been 'King and Country' during the Second World War

From what I know of Lemming (from his posts), I don't think he was talking about NHS heroes (I may be wrong), I'm guessing he's talking more about things like people calling football players heroes. And (IMO) he would be correct. Famous people (sport, film, whatever) may be idols, or role models, but very few of them are actually heroes, and as you've said, most heroes don't consider themselves as such.

Damn, I missed that one 😁

I know what happened in Burma. I don't know what happened to my great uncle at Kohima.

We may talk about having boyhood heros, which may be sports stars, but as a society I whilst we may idolise sports and media stars, I don't think that we generally refers to them as heros in the sense that we use the term for people who have showed great courage and selflessness.

Here is a footballer that ticks all the boxes, despite hating being referred to as a hero.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Gregg

For anyone who wants to know more about the campaign in Burma 'Quartered Safe out Here' by George MacDonald Fraser is an excellent read. It also contains a description of one of his comrades performing a heroic act which makes me well up whenever I read it.

"Hero" is a strange one - the media seem to love to bandy it about

Many years ago I was on the front page of the Sun with the caption "Hero" whereas all I'd done was exactly what anyone else would have

Two men who I would also class as hero's during peace time would include a convicted murderer and a policeman. Both men put aside their own safety, with clear and present danger, to protect others.

Steve Gallant took on a terrorist with an explosive vest. He did not know it was fake, however the terrorist was real and had killed innocent people moments before Steve Gallant came across him. I remember watching a clip where Steve was very humble about his role in the event, and his past conviction.

British Transport Police officer Wayne Marques fought off three armed terrorists with a baton for protection with the thoughts running in his head "don't go down. Don't go down"

Both men reluctant hero's who would rather never have been in the situation that they found themselves.

There are countless more examples of what I would call a hero. And in no way, shape or form would I be deluded enough to say that what I do is heroic.

At the moment my job is stressful, no question and my anxiety levels are up a little, but nobody is trying to kill me and there is a good chance that I will get though this little blip in my day job.

The trick is head down and keep moving forward.

On point of fact and pedantry, and not wishing to detract in any way from Capt.-Col Toms' remarkable acheivements, (and expecting a slew of dislikes) those medals are service medals, not gallantry medals.  L-R as worn.

War Service Medal, awarded to anyone serving for miniumum 28 days during period 3-9-39 to 2-9-45

Burma Star, awarded to anyone for serving 1 day minimum in Burma.

1939-45 Star, awarded for minimum of 180 days service overseas.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medals-campaigns-descriptions-and-eligibility.

So if your wish is a debate on the nature of heroism in modern times, is a hero someone who served? Served with distinction? Served and survived? Or, as I suspect with Capt. Tom and many many NHS staff today, someone who did their job, did it very very well, and consequently came into harms way. And continued to do their job very, very, well. Is 'Hero' a retrospective label that others confer from a position of safety onto a bemused recipient? Do you become a hero by virtue of longevity and outliving your peers who also served, and if so is your hero status somewhat symbolic or representative rather than that of your individual or personal conduct? I don't have any great answers but I think there is a pertinent debate to be had on the differing natures of the heroism of service, and the heroism of gallantry.

Interesting and elusive concept the old heroism: 

Being a hero is about the shortest lived profession on earth.   Will Rogers

Every hero becomes a bore at last.  Ralph Waldo Emerson

A hero cannot be a hero unless in a heroic world. Nathaniel Hawthorne

I'm a hero with coward's legs. Spike Milligan

Prince Charles is my hero. He uses his position to do only good in the world. Vivienne Westwood

Everywhere I go, people embrace me and treat me like a national hero.  Jair Bolsonaro. 

Dead is only for once, but running away is for ever - Terry Pratchett

Thats one quote from him. Others include:

Rincewind growled.  If there was one thing he couldn’t stand, it was people who were fearless in the face of death.  It seemed to strike at something absolutely fundamental in him

A famous last stand, sir?’ said Jackrum. He spat expertly into the fire in the tumbledown hearth. ‘To hell with them, sir. That’s just a way of dyin’ famous!’

'You're just a coward really, aren't you?'
'Yes, but I've never understood what's wrong with the idea. It takes guts to run away, you know. Lots of people would be as cowardly as me if they were brave enough

Good point, I didn't want to mention it though!

Plus he would also have had to apply for them, (my Dad wouldn't, I ended up getting them for him a couple of years before he died).

Another one for anyone who is interested on more about Burma - The Road Past Mandalay, John Masters.  A book of two halves, first being service in Iraq and India, second being service with the Chindits in Burma culminating in the establishment and defence of the 'Blackpool' block.  Masters, a Gurkha officer, was in command of 111 Brigade and I'm sure this is essential reading to this day at Staff College.  I reread it recently having spent a lot of time researching my own grandfather's death in Normandy in '44 and understood the book far better than when I read it for the first time.  Master's compassion for his poor sick battle weary soldiers as he asks the impossible from them time and time again shines through.  I can't recommend it highly enough.

People are surprised, get emotional and share it all over Facebook when someone is decent or simply doesn't loot your dead body.

Why do we expect the worst of people most of the time? I've seen some great community spirit around my way in the last few weeks. Of course there are still arseholes, but kindly behaviour is outdoing the arseholes at the moment in terms of media coverage.