Poll: Are the troops heroes? Americans, Britons and Germans feel very differently

Britons are split. One third (32%) also consider all armed forces personnel to be heroes, while an opposing third (31%) believe that only those armed forces personnel who have performed particularly brave acts should be described as heroes.

In Germany, the most common response was that no members of the armed forces should be described as heroes. Three out of every ten Germans (30%) gave this answer. By contrast, only 5% of Americans and 6% of Britons said the same…

In the US older Americans are most likely to describe all troops as heroes, while younger Americans are less sure. Among Americans aged 40 and over, 55-57% say that all armed forces personnel should be described as heroes, compared to 44% of 30-39 year olds and 37% of 18-29 year olds.