Come on, there has to be a more considerate term or honor paid to the man/woman who has died while fighting for a "cause"....especially if the soldier has been fighting for a "cause" with no chance of input, or a legitimate chance of "getting out", well not easily, that is. Did the Vietnam Vet die in vain, or did the gent who fled to Canada "live" on in vain? To the dead soldier, perhaps the one who runs lives in vain.
in any even, we all as human beings deserve more, imo.
Personal choice, I suppose.
===================================================================
I agree that soldiers always get more publicity when they get killed in action or blown up fighting in some foreign land for flag and country, but I disagree that they deserve more acclaim than a normal civilian in a struggle against cancer, AIDS, heart disease or any one of a thousand ghastly diseases.
The sad fact is that everyone dies, which is what the Buddha noted as one of the Great Truths, and I am afraid that pretty much all of us die simply because of our mortal nature. We all die, and for no good reason. Even if there were a good reason, if we had not been afforded the proper moment for showing it, we would have died anyway. It's what we do, just like breathing, sleeping and eating lunch.
We can make a really big deal of how much bravery was involved in that last charge against the enemy at Stalingrad by either side, or defending the perameter against thousands of Vietcong at Tan Son Hut or Pork Chop Hill, or whatever, but this is no more intrinsically noble than the illustration of the guy on the Quaker Oats box is honest... only less trite.