if the children of our troops go to college, where will we get the next generation of cannon fodder?

our ignorance is our strength!

i don't agree with one aspect of your comment, that the outcome has to be positive - the hero and everyone else can die, but the act is still heroic if it meets the other criteria you noted.

the word hero has been so overused and diluted it's damn near been destroyed - a disservice to those actual heros.

You could also question why the GI bill that is supposed to be transferable to your kid when you are KIA isn't happening and why the kid needs this scholarship to begin with.

Actually, kids of prior serving vets can also get in-state tuition rates in virtually any state in the union, as well as other cush deals.

My dad used that to go to Swarthmore. So did my mom.

(the latter example shows that you can get this at private colleges/universities as well - plus scholarships, other things)

Fuck you Charles. What the hell do you do to serve your country? Not a damn thing but perpetuate racial hatred and liberal conspiracy theories. Go to hell. And while you are there, learn how to be a journalist.

the cult of the hero is nothing more than our fear of death. even in death, the hero transcends or becomes bigger than death with heroics.

nonsense.

we all die, and heroes are myths. a heroic act can be luck, an action caused by fear, adrenaline or somebody deciding to award you a medal for number of kills. we have to create a god like human ( a hero) to feel bigger than we actually are.

Well stated, Mr. Mudede.

But I thought that a mind is a terrible thing to waste!

whether or not you agree with the military these people represented you and we are part of the society that sent them and put them in harm's way. if you do not agree with this i hope you are doing EVERYTHING in your power to peacefully change that, otherwise your apathy is appalling.

our freedoms in this country are liberal and progressive ideals. if you do not think that is worth standing up for and defending you do not deserve them.

God, Charles, don't be such a twat. The literal meaning of hero is one who serves and protects. A soldier falls into that category. An injured or dead one can no longer provide for his children in the same capacity before earning that purple heart. This is one way of saying your kids will be taken care of if something happens.

No, JIm, hero doesn't mean one or serves and protects (are you reading the side of a police car?). Please, go to any dictionary, it won't define hero as one who serves and protects.

I agree that the word hero has just gotten diluted beyond belief. When I was growing up cops, firefighters and soldiers were held in high regard and respect but no one ever called all of them heros. Is making the choice to be in harm's way as a career defining a hero? I don't think so. If so, then what do you call someone who goes beyond that?

11, fighting for my country does not make me a hero. it makes me a citizen soldier.

@13,

And there are many people who perform dangerous jobs (fishing, mining, construction) and are not proclaimed heroes.

The past ten years notwithstanding, this country is rarely at war. Many people have opted to join the armed forces with a strong expectation of never having to serve in combat. Maybe they would have been heroes if given the opportunity, but it cheapens the word to call them that by fiat.

@13 The word 'hero' is a greek word. It is a term that means 'protect and serve'. Where do you think the police came up with the phrase.

The real issue here is the belief of some males - they are not Men - eligible to serve in our military [healthy heterosexuals 41-or-under] who support U.S. military action overseas as long as "other people" do the actual fighting.

Sorry, raising money for the kids of real heroes doesn't get those assclowns off the hook. And anyone not personally eligible to serve who supports the war(s) should encourage his/her eligible relatives and friends, circles of influence, to Be A Man! Enlist!

Please don't confuse the warrior with the war. Military deployments are tough and this is a worthy cause if the charity is ethical.