Carry it to far and you end up trying to imitate them. We lose our uniqueness. Fathers need to be heroes. Teachers and coaches were also popular choices, outranking media heroes. The making of a hero.
Heroes are heroes because they inspire others to do better.
So to be one you don't have to attract a lot of attention and have your name in the papers, you only have to inspire. This can be just through your consistency and self-discipline. They have been remembered, not for what they got, but for what they gave. They were the responsible ones. They sacrificed their standard of living for their standard of giving.