Retired Sgt. Maj. Stephen Durfee served more than 20 years in U.S. Army Special Forces. He was deployed multiple times to the Middle East and other regions. He has been praised for "leading with courage, skill, and an unwavering commitment to his fellow soldiers and to our nation."

Beyond his military career, Durfee serves as chairman of the Kootenai County Veterans Commission, is a board member of the Idaho Veterans Assistance League and belongs to the Kootenai County chapter of the Special Forces Association.

The Post Falls man is a lot of things but being a hero, he said, is not one of them. 

"I’ve seen a lot of heroes," Durfee said. "I don’t consider myself one."

The Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber does.

Along with presenting sponsor ICCU, it named Durfee as the Military Hero of the Year for the American Heroes Parade on July 4, described as a "cherished local tradition that celebrates the freedom we enjoy and the heroes who protect it," a press release said.

“Stephen Durfee embodies the spirit of leadership, sacrifice, and service both in and out of uniform,” said Roxanne Kusler, ICCU community development officer. “We are honored to recognize him for his extraordinary contributions to our country and to the North Idaho veteran community.”

Linda Coppess, president and CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, said they were proud to celebrate Durfee's legacy during the Independence Day parade that starts at 10 a.m. on Sherman Avenue.

“Stephen represents the very best of us. His selfless service, both on the battlefield and here at home, has made an indelible impact on our region," she said.

Durfee, who enlisted in 1989 and served until 2014, downplays his accomplishments.

"The only reason that I’m here is because of the grace of God and the folks that took an interest in seeing me be successful. I’m not a hero but I walked next to a few over the course of the 25 years that I served," he said.

He points to people like Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Carey Pennington as a special forces leader he wanted to emulate. 

"He was that role model of what you would expect a command sergeant to be," Durfee said.

When Durfee deployed to Haiti in 1995 and 1996, the poverty startled him. He had assumed everywhere was pretty much like America.

"I had never seen anything like that except for maybe in a National Geographic magazine," he said. "When I say they have nothing, they have no clothes, nothing to eat. They're getting by on what they find."

Durfee has heard Medal of Honor recipients talk about their experiences and said they had one thing in common: All were doing what they were trained to do.

"They kept faith with the guys on their left and right," Durfee said. "They led by example, in spite of the conditions."

He said there is no such thing as bravery without fear. 

"Everybody that does something you consider to be amazing or brave or jumps out of an airplane, they’re afraid. They're just managing that fear," he said. "They were just doing their job. Because we all do that together, we’re able to function."

He reluctantly accepted the invitation to be the Military Hero of the Year so he could represent all special forces

"I’m not a hero. I don’t deserve this kind of acknowledgment," he said. "I think the real heroes are the Gold Star families that are left behind."

Durfee said it's good to live in a community where people respect and take care of each other.

"It's easy to be critical of this country, but until you‘ve gone some other places and seen what the rest of the world is really like, we’re very, very fortunate here, extraordinarily fortunate," he said. "I'm grateful to live here. I love being an Idahoan."