I have a big problem with the word hero.  I do a church service on the whole subject, but I would say that aherop is sopmeone who goes the extra mile.  This is why I have a problem with Help for Heroes.  It seems to suggest that anyone in the armed forces may be a hero, which isn't the case, perhaps even more it suggests that in jured armed forces personnel are heroes.  Being injured doesn't make you a hero, you could be unlucky, or inept.  Being in the armed serbices doesn't make you a hero, it could be a choice made for so many reasons, and of course there are so many other people living out their lives for the service of others.
My hero in life has always been chad varah...I don't know too much about him...but he challenged the status quo...and did something positive about the situation that he found.  He wasn't following orders, and wasn't creating rules...he extended love to others, and that's why he's a hero.  We have to look at motives, rather than make generalisations.

Oh I could not agree more!!! I greatly admire the work that "Help for Heroes" does - it's very much needed, but the title of the organisation makes me feel uncomfortable.
I agree that not everybody in the Armed Forces is a "hero" and not everyone who is injured or dies in the likes of Afghanistan or Iraq is a "hero"...some undoubtedly are - those who have thrown themselves on a IED to protect those around them; those who go into areas of enemy fire to rescue colleagues etc - they ARE heroes! But just being out there and getting injured or killed does not automatically make you a "hero".
When you see the horrendous sights of the corteges coming through Wootton Bassett from RAF Lyneham after the repatriations and the media coverage talking about the "heroes" it always makes me cringe just a little, because as said, dying doesn't automatically make you a hero! And I'm talking as the sister of someone who has been out there several times and is going back in October. She isn't a "hero" just for being in the Forces, she CHOSE to join up and loves the life it has given her. Are we proud of what she's doing? Yes!! but that still doesn't make her a "hero"!!

Like a lot of words/terms these days, it's way overused and so, little by little, it loses its REAL meaning!!!