Glen b, I disagree strongly with your characterization of the military as heroic warriors, it is a very dangerous belief. In my experience, most of the air force is there to get free training that can later be sold in the private sector. Less so the Navy and Army.
The American characterization is "too lazy to work and too scared to steal". British law also treats the military as "citizens differently armed". World wars one and two were in part caused by German and later Japanese misplaced reverence for their military caste.
Alternately you can put me on a pedestal too for standing ready to defend you against the Vietnamese hordes all those years ago.
To put that another way, save it for Anzac Day.