11 Days of Remembrance: What Defines a Hero?

Within the last week, a journalist for a Hamilton newspaper decided to write an article as to why Cpl. Cirillo, the Argyle killed at the war memorial in Ottawa, was an "undeserving hero" (he later changed the phrasing of his title to "accidental hero"). Despite being able to argue his reasons why, many argued back. The biggest issue, naturally, was poor taste due to equally poor timing. People are welcome to think and speak what they want here, but often, many forget to let some wounds heal before spouting off opinions, no matter how valid they may or may not be.

So that got me to thinking. Just what is a hero? According to the Gage Canadian Dictionary, a hero is:

1) A person who does great and brave deeds, and is admired for them.
2) A person admired for contributing to a particular field.

There are a few others, but these are the two that are of importance.

With these definitions in mind, who is heroic to me? Obviously, on a personal level, my great-gram tops the list. She wasn't your average female, and she certainly made her mark in women's organizations (notably the Willing Workers, which consisted of a group of women making various articles to send to Europe to the war effort). But aside from her, who else could be a hero to me? Child cancer survivors will always have my admiration. And of course, the men and women who wear a uniform and serve our country. In my experience, these veteran heroes are very humble. They didn't polish boots or go into war-torn zones for glory. They did what they did, and continue to do so, because for them, it has always been the right thing to do. Humility- a heroic trait that isn't appreciated enough.

Sure, there are always the heroes of myth, such as Hercules, those found in sports, and the ones from the comic books, but even they have heroes worth admiring. For instance, Marvel's finest are in awe of our very own Sergeant-at-Arms Kevin Vickers. Don't believe me?

A hero's hero for sure!

I also try to keep in mind that just because I class someone as heroic for me doesn't mean the same applies for everyone else. However, I think we can all agree that the Sergeant-at-Arms, and our veterans, along with the people currently serving qualify. As for the writer of a Hamilton newspaper article? Cirillo may have been an undeserving hero to the writer, but the corporal would have definitely been a hero to his own friends and family.

Your turn. Who are your heroes, and what makes a hero for you?