""I've said it before: my heroes are people like the guy who lost both legs but keeps on going, the single mother who works to keep her family together despite everything, the firefighter, the cop on the beat, the guy who works in the steel mill or the welding shop to help his aging parents, the doctor in the ER.... All the people who keep going in spite of everything.""
While I heartily agree that these are all true heroes, I would love to hear your rationale for the assumption that this would be mutually exclusive with the concept that soldiers can be heroes.
What about, for example, the guy who throws himself on a grenade and saves the lives of a dozen comrades?
Does the fact that he carries a weapon and sometimes must use it automatically preclude recognition of his altruistic act?
Doesn't your cop on the beat carry a weapon also and sometimes have to use it..........Hmmm?