“As a USN lifer, anyone who straps themselves into a military jet is a hero to me.”
Then you are misusing the word, and you’re not alone.
Naval aviators are brave. They display courage every time they climb into the cockpit. And, they are braver than many others.
But all men should be brave. The designation “hero” used to mean more, and it should be made to mean more again.
Yes, regarding the designation “hero”-—not too long ago O.J.Simpson was referred to as a “sports hero”, and his friend Cowlings, who chauffered him in that Bronco escape,I actually heard referred to this way “if there is any hero in this thing, it’s Cowlings”.And that’s just scratching the surface on the way that word has been shorn of meaning.