Something that I often notice is that we often talk about previous wars similar to tales that we say to children and "glorify" warriors for their weapons, battle strategy, philosophy and so on.
For example,
Sparta - known as the ultimate warrior ever in mainstream media. Known for their strict military philosophy and training to be the perfect warrior in every situation (Another thing to mention is the "Iliad", the famous book about war that both glorifies war, something that was common in ancient Greece, and is also anti-war)
Rome - known for their famous imperalism and over 1000 years of history and known for their superior emphasis in their military structure, advancement and strategy against their other enemies like the Celts, the Normans, the Huns, the Carthaginians and so on.
Imperial Japan - Famous for the Samuria and how they were the ultimate class (above them was the Shogun) and their Bushido code. Their sword of choice (among other weapons) was the katana, a weapon that plenty of people like and believe that it is unmatched against any other swords (which is not entirely the case). Darth Vader's helmet of the Star Wars universe is designed after the Kabuto, the helmet that Samurai used
Mediaval times - Instant thought that comes to mind is the Medieval knight and their bodies covered in thick armour plate armour and their code of chivalry. Among these knights, there are tales of famous wars like the Holy Wars, the Crusades, the Knights of St. John against the Arabs, the Fall of the Byzantine Empire, the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, the Independence of Scotland from the English and so on
American Revolution - American colonists fought for their own independence from the British empire because they felt that they were being abused by the British by increasing taxes (and the famous line "taxation without representation) and fight to the death until 1783 and brought the birth of the U.S. that we know today
World War 1 and World War 2: Probably the time when glorification of war ended and the rise of anti-war propoganda became increasing popular (the ones that became MORE popular were the anti-war protests in the 60s and 70s) but we speak of the wars about their tactics, weapons, vehicles and arsenals used and so on.
I often like to tell stories like these as well I am telling tales of awe to children but at the same time
But at the same time, I wonder why we often do this considering that we know how war is an incredibly complicated subject and one that brings a lot of destruction, loss, famine, disease, and despair
Even Metatron, a Youtuber who speaks about history mentioned this
Yours is the sort of subjective, almost literary question that is not easy to answer with a definitive "proof" of history. There is an ironic aspect of war that while we know it is dreadful and we recount the horrors of war, we nevertheless feel whimsical, a bit nostalgic when the battle flags are furled and the troops bow their heads as they head for home. War should be, by rights, appalling from start to finish. All aspects of it are dreadful, wasteful, destructive, and can only inflict painful horror on all participants. No one leaves a war without wounds of some sort, whether or not they are physically injured.
George Orwell, wrote his tragic portrayal of the insanity of war in his Homage to Catalonia (1938), a retrospective of his participation in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). He condemns war and its costs. At the same time, he felt himself drawn into its romance. Here is his oft-quoted summary of war:
The men who were well enough to stand had moved across the carriage to cheer the Italians as they went past. A crutch waved out of the window; bandaged forearms made the Red Salute. It was like an allegorical picture of war; the trainload of fresh men gliding proudly up the line, the maimed men sliding slowly down, and all the while the guns on the open trucks making one's heart leap as guns always do, and reviving that pernicious feeling, so difficult to get rid of, that war IS glorious after all.