For the non-latin readers out there....

"Dulce et decorum est pro Patria mori"
is...
"How good and fitting it is to die for ones country"

I think that Tillman puts a face on the military. Since Tillman had a public identity, he has gotten so much attention. In this day and age, it is rare for a celebrity athlete or movie star to serve in the military during a war. It was pretty common back in WWII and the Korean War. I think that makes him exceptional.

wrong.





Very few other soldiers gave up $11MM to go overseas - while family and life are the things all soldiers risk giving up, it is exceptionally rare for a situation such as Tillman's to emerge.

There are very few Rockafellers in military service.

Now, we can argue the merits of money, and its relative worth to each of us, in deciding how big of a sacrifice this is - but the bottom line is that Pat Tillman's situation was amazingly unique, and THAT is why he is considered a hero . . . regardless of the American obsession with sports.

Pat Tillman is a hero. If the world had more Pat Tillman's it would def. be a better place. Somebody should kick this guy in the balls.

I think what Pat Tillman did for our country was an honorable thing. However, he is no more a hero than any of our brothers or sisters who have faught/perished in the war against terror.

I thank them all for their dedication and service to our country, they are all heroes.

They are all heroes to someone. I can easily grant that.

I've been thinking pretty hard about this recently. We tend to overuse words these days. Words like hero. I'm conflicted on its use.

Some would argue, for instance, that all of our fighting men and women in Iraq are heores. What about the seven who are charged with prisoner abuse?

If you die in battle doing some extraordinary, As Tillman apparantely did, there is no question in my mind that the word fits. He is a hero.

If you're killed in a Humvee accident, does that count?

Whenever a police officer is killed, he/she is hailed as a hero. Well, it's a job I wouldn't want, and it takes (for the most part) admirable intentions to put up with all the crap that people dish out to cops -- but if an officer is killed directing traffic, does that make a hero?

Firefighters are really remarkable people to me. If a firefighter dies of a heart attack in the station house, is he/she a hero?

Are athletes heroes? Some are. Some are thugs. Some are rapists. Some are on drugs.

As hard as it is to say, is the late Mr. Berg who was beheaded by Iraqi militants a hero after allegedly refusing to leave the country as he was supposedly advised by government officials?

And then, look at the use of the word from the other point of view. Are the five men to cut off his head heros? They are to other Iraqi militants.

Are those involved in 9/11 heroes? They certainly aren't to us, but to some Arabs, they are. (Not all Arabs -- or even a majority, so let's not go the racist route here, OK?)

Is John Kerry a hero? The Navy thinks so -- they don't give out medals for bravery very often. Is former President bush a hero for serving as a Navy Fighter Pilot? Apparantely so. Anyone who lands on an aircraft carrier is either a hero or totally out of his mind. Is his son a hero for serving in the National Guard when he probably could have beaten the draft in other ways? Some would argue that everyone in the Reserves and Guard are heroes. Well, he did serve. There was a chance that his unit might have been sent to Vietnam -- although relatively few did.

What this whole dribble I've attempted to explain is that sometimes I think we diminish the meaning of certain words that should be reserved for really unusual occassions.

Are we all guilty of this casual use of the language? I certainly am. In the final analysis, when we overuse these words, does it dilute its meaning when applied to someone like Pat Tillman who really deserves the title?

I'm not looking for an argument, but am very interested in your comments.

not to be cliched, but:

hero n. (plural heroes ) : c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage (Merriam-Webster)

I think, in the traditional sense, that hero is in the eye of the beholder. Who doesnt think giving up a life of wealth and fame to fight anonymously (well, at least as he wanted) and eventually die because he felt he could give more of himself? Pat Tillman is a hero to 99.9999% of the people in America, safely said (with the occasional 'journalist' detractor).

Theres also a difference between being a hero and dying a hero. Had Pat Tillman lived to come home and retire from service, I still believe hed be considered a hero to some, if not as many. Conversely, a lifelong coward who jumps on a grenade to save others, I would say, died heroically. Both could be remembered as heroes, but would also bring doubts. Would Tillman have made the ultimate sacrifice? (now, sadly, we know) Does one act make up for a life of draft dodging and hiding in a foreign country, not for personal beliefs, but just for fear of combat?

'I suppose there are two reasons for considering someone a hero: dying nobly for a cause, or living humbly for one.' (quoted, cant find who actually said it)

That's a really good point.

Again, no question in my mind that Pat Tillman fits the definition in every way.

I simply wonder if we've overused the word in some other cases.

I agree with you on that, and apparently, so does Matt Groening

Homer: 'That Timmy O'Toole is a real hero.'
Lisa: 'How is he a hero?'
Homer: 'Well, he...fell in a well, and....cant get out...'
Lisa: '...'
Homer: 'Well, its more than you ever did!'

Yes, I did just quote 'The Simpsons' to make a point. Love it. :D