Civilian and Military Perceptions of Heroism in War in Norway. On Diverging Paths?

Perceptions of heroism in war are both unsettled and constant. Following international trends, Norwegian war memories and commemorations, which started out as national patriotic in 1945, gradually incorporated new agendas, a wider set of actors, and more self-critical perceptions throughout the cold war. The sacrifices made by previously marginalized groups such as sailors from the merchant fleet, partisans, and communist resistance groups, were gradually recognized, and they obtained a more prominent place in the national perception of heroism in war. Military perceptions of heroism, as expressed in the reinstituted war decoration regime in 2010, seem largely unaffected by these developments. A majority of decorations won for operations in recent wars in Afghanistan and Syria, awarded traditional military virtues such as leadership, operational success and gaining the respect of major allies. Self-sacrifice was not a criterion for being decorated. Instead, the largest groups of recipients were highly trained special operations forces, who were decorated for their professionalism. The new decoration regime, intended at forging new ties between Norwegian society and an increasingly more exclusive and seclusive military, therefore indicates that civilian and military perceptions of heroism in war are no longer identical. Rather, they seem to be on diverging paths.