bladefan: Definitions c and d apply to nearly EVERY Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine I've ever served with or met. Notice I said NEARLY. It takes great courage to face what they do day in and day out. An outstanding acheivment is enlisting in wartime knowing you may face death (or enlisting at all for that matter as the threat is very real) and getting through boot camp (now it's a little iffy on that one

). Noble. That's enought said there. Willing to sacrifice your life for the greater good. Jumping on a grenade so that two junior Marines can go home to their families (e.g. Cpl Dunham, look him up; I proudly served with him) That's what nobility is.
Bottom line is, that you can use Webster or any dictionary you like all day long, but that doesn't mean jack when rounds are coming down range or when a man watches his best friend die and still fights. In the case of my boss, when an entire PLT is killed down to 4 men and they take the hill they were ordered to take (Vietnam). That's a hero in my book. I don't see anything in your profile about having served or not so I'm not sure, unless you can state otherwise, you're in the position to be claiming who is and is not a hero.
I know it seems I'm trying to stir the pot, but I'm not. I feel that not enough is being said to defend our Countrie's HEROES. Thus, if this is the place in which I can defend them, I will, as I can't be there in the flesh.
sasha: Thank you for being so understanding. I really can't say what that means to me. Honestly. Handshake accepted and wholeheartedly returned.