The possibility of their being killed was everywhere every minute. Some of Kerrey's critics are probably afraid of the dark. Part of the problem is, we have idealized war and soldiers until a lot of people don't know the truth about either. During the Gulf War, hardly a war at The government handed out 6 million medals to 500,000 soldiers. The medals often give the false impression, perpetuated by military organizations, that every soldier is brave and heroic.
Heroes are as scarce in war as they are in peace.
There was no Greatest Generation. There are a lot of great people in every generation, but there are some who aren't much good at all, too. A hero is someone who risks his life for someone else, and Bob Kerrey risked his life for his country in Vietnam. It has been suggested that Kerrey should return the Bronze Star he was awarded for his action at Thanh Phong because he doesn't deserve it. I have a Bronze Star.