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In the US? "Yes" whilst in uniform. Mostly from US serviceman (sadly) although I did have occasion to have some 'French Fries' thrown over me in Alexandria LA. This was in '06 and some, both in the military and not, seemed to have an issue with my countries non-involvement in Iraq (pt.2) and considered me to be personally to blame. When out of uniform "No".
(I've been to the US on exercises a couple of times since '06 and received no abuse at all either in uniform or not).
Abroad? Strangely enough "No" although as we're not able to where our uniform outside of barracks most people probably can't tell.
I believe most of the anti-military sentiment here in USA comes from people who attended college. Some professors openly express hatred towards people in the military. Some of their students (some of whom go on to become public school teachers) are sponges who not only accept their professor's hatred of the military, but also follow their professor's example.
I believe most of the anti-military sentiment here in USA comes from people who attended college. Some professors openly express hatred towards people in the military. Some of their students (some of whom go on to become public school teachers) are sponges who not only accept their professor's hatred of the military, but also follow their professor's example.
When I got out of the military, I went to UCF and I experienced the exact opposite. The professors loved working with us and a few of us gets went on to being TAs for future classes. Not once was I treated poorly for being a vet.
I'm not saying this doesn't exist, but I personally didn't experience it.
Stateside there was open hostility in the late 70s and much of the 80s.
Once in NC, I was on a motorcycle when a group of 'rednecks' in a pickup truck began tossing beer bottles at me, yelling and tried to run me off the road.
Generally it was worse near military bases. A few times when I was traveling cross-country, stopping in areas that had no military presence, I saw people who liked the military.
There was a lot of hostility aimed at returning Viet Nam war veterans back in those days ( 70's). I know the hostility came about from the unpopularity of the Viet Nam war, but what seems ironic to me is that those Viet Nam war vets were for the most part, drafted into the military to fight that war. They didn't volunteer for it- hostility towards those who didn't choose to participate but were forced into it seems even more shortsighted than hostility towards veterans in general- not that such hostility is ever warranted.
I believe most of the anti-military sentiment here in USA comes from people who attended college. Some professors openly express hatred towards people in the military. Some of their students (some of whom go on to become public school teachers) are sponges who not only accept their professor's hatred of the military, but also follow their professor's example.
Weird, 'cause my husband both finished college AND worked as a school teacher prior to enlisting in the military.
My first year in college was the year after I left the Air force. That was 1972 at Stephen F. Austin at Nacogdoches, Texas. I can't recall the course but I had to give an oral presentation of a life experience in a class. Being only 23 years old, the only real experiences I had was the previous four years I had just spent in the AF so I chose it as a subject. I guess my pride at having been a part of what I considered to be a great team was clearly detectable. After the talk, each student then had to stand before the class and take comments. One young long haired blond fellow at the back of the class "went off" on me for "promoting the military" and supporting "murder in Southeast Asia" even though I had only been stationed stateside for my entire four years. It was extremely embarrassing and the professor actually stepped in to weakly defend my choice of subjects and my presentation.
I've always been a bit naive when it comes to people and their prejudices but that day I found that I had made a real enemy, and possibly even more, just by a decision I had made in my young life. I later transferred to a school in New Mexico (not because of the incident) but I pretty much kept my service experiences under my hat while at school.
My first year in college was the year after I left the Air force. That was 1972 at Stephen F. Austin at Nacogdoches, Texas. I can't recall the course but I had to give an oral presentation of a life experience in a class. Being only 23 years old, the only real experiences I had was the previous four years I had just spent in the AF so I chose it as a subject. I guess my pride at having been a part of what I considered to be a great team was clearly detectable. After the talk, each student then had to stand before the class and take comments. One young long haired blond fellow at the back of the class "went off" on me for "promoting the military" and supporting "murder in Southeast Asia" even though I had only been stationed stateside for my entire four years. It was extremely embarrassing and the professor actually stepped in to weakly defend my choice of subjects and my presentation.
I've always been a bit naive when it comes to people and their prejudices but that day I found that I had made a real enemy, and possibly even more, just by a decision I had made in my young life. I later transferred to a school in New Mexico (not because of the incident) but I pretty much kept my service experiences under my hat while at school.
This is honestly so sad. That an American soldier must hide his service in his own country. Ridiculous.
Also more common in the Vietnam era. Less so today. Negative treatment of veterans (when it comes up) in the current climate is a bit less along the lines of social ostracism and critique, and a bit more institutionalized and insidious.
My first year in college was the year after I left the Air force.
This is a little off-topic, but my brother enrolled at Eastern New Mexico University in the 1950's on the GI Bill. One day in a parking lot he was approached by an upper classman who loudly said, "Hey Freshman, come over here and change my flat tire." After spending three years in the Navy, my brother wasn't about to be ordered around by a local college kid barely out of high school. Needless to say, my brother not only informed the guy that he wasn't changing his flat tire, but also told him what he could do with it. Nobody pulled any "Freshman" stuff on him after that.
Weird, 'cause my husband both finished college AND worked as a school teacher prior to enlisting in the military.
Did he attend schools in the north east or north west parts of the country where not too long ago military recruiters were verbally and sometimes physically attacked by students and faculty?
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