Well CET, you are right to an extent, I think -despite the early knee-jerk hostility which I expected- this has generally been a really interesting thread with thoughtful and educated contributions from all perspectives.

Despite my own pacifism (not absolute as said previously - I recognise the right to appropriate degrees of self defense) and consequent personal mistrust of the whole machinery of war and especially the glorification of it and those who willingly participate in it, if you can make a case for soldiers being heroes then the inverse (albeit not an antonym as RB comments) is equally likely to be demonstrable. As I said early on I don't think soldiers are necessarily either heroes or mercenaries, but that the truth no-doubt lies somewhere in the middle.

Otherwise, while I'm not reveling in upsetting people, I'm not scared of butchering a sacred cow on occasion. So far as I'm concerned Junior school children should be encouraged to discuss questions just like these at school as a part of a full spectrum of education.

BTW Megan L - Like Gnu, I found your poem very affecting, thanks.