See my post below.
I too was honored to spend 4 years with the Corps, and deployed to Desert Storm in 90. I don’t consider myself a hero either, but to the average person under 30, a person who has never been in a fight, probably never fired a gun and cannot imagine doing anything other than calling the police if they or their family were threatened, anybody who is willing to take up arms and protect them would be a hero.
But then again, consider the source, pro sports players, entertainers and politicians, also fill roles as heroes.
While you may not consider yourselves heroes, you were supporting those who were in the position of becoming one. You were in the position yourselves of having that possibility thrust upon you and you agreed to that upon enlistment.
It's not necessarily the actions that define a hero, but the willingness to perform those actions if called upon to do so. Your enlistment showed that you were willing--even in the face of the civilian public's disapproval of the military.
To me, a hero is not necessarily someone who goes above and beyond the call of duty, but someone who answers that call and fulfills it faithfully. A hero is a positive role model.
I could not physically qualify for the military, but I do admire those who answer that call, and I appreciate the willingness to make the sacrifice that may be required.