I think the hero worship is a hold out from when the number of soldiers actually on the front lines and the mortality rate were much higher. And of course this comes down to generalizations and how you would go about defining 'hero', whether it's doing something heroic (which could certainly be as simple as serving in the military) or possessing a particular skill set or mindset.
What Heinlein says about patriotism in this commencement is pretty interesting (keep in mind it's 1973 and he's talking to a graduating class at the Naval Academy):
http://imperfectsense.tumblr.com/post/1544719796/in-honor-of-veterans-day-the-pragmatics-of-patriotism
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[witty phrase including the guru champ SuperNiceDog]
If there is one thing I know, it is that I know nothing.