I believe the humility of the participants is part of what makes them great. My great uncle lost a leg at the battle of the bulge, and I didn't even know about it until I was nearly a teenager. Apparently he came closer to dying than anyone but his wife knew. After his death his brother (my grandfather) finally heard the whole story.
I do remember hearing him talking during the first gulf war about how CNN mentioned some of the soldiers hadn't had a shower in a week. You can imagine his empathy.
CHAZ
