Veterans Not Survivors

Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. A day that will live in infamy.

Instapundit linked to a USAToday article on some of the veterans at an event. It's titled Five survivors keep history alive at Pearl Harbor.

Am I the only one who gets annoyed when veterans are referred to as survivors? I can understand Holocaust survivor, World Trade Center survivor, etc. "Survivor" brings the connotation of being a victim of events beyond ones control.

Calling Veterans survivors seems to cheapen their participation to mere presence at an event.

Veterans weren't just present at an event - they were part of the struggle, they were the targets of the attack, and they fought back, fought to save their ships, fought to save their shipmates, and where they had the means, fought to destroy the enemy. Yes, they survived the battle, as most did. But they are not merely survivors. They are Veterans.