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First, on behalf of all the vets that appreciate the sentiment, don't let my rant keep you from thanking them.
Just don't thank me.
First. I didn't join the U.S. military to fight for your freedom. I didn't really join to fight for anyone's freedom, it just seemed at the time like the thing to do. So I don't deserve anyone's thanks and I especially don't need or want the thanks of folks who didn't.
Cause here's the thing, I've never been thanked for serving by another vet. The only folks who thank we are the perfectly healthy (hell some of them look fit enough to be Navy SEALs) folks who I get the impression feel that by thanking a vet they have some how fulfilled some portion of their civic duty - I would have said military obligation but that went out the window with the all volunteer force. But the fact is, it doesn't.
The fact that today only 0.5% of the population serves in the military makes "the thanks for your service" line ring more than a bit hollow. It's sounds like gratuitous statement that you tell the help after they mow the lawn, clean the pool, cooked your dinner, or git rid of your roach infestation (or Jihadist as the case may be). But the fact is these kids that have just concluded fighting for 12 god damned years deserve a hell of a lot more than "a thank you for your service" it would have been better if the folks who are doing the thanking had stepped up to the plate and served alongside them.
I apologize if this rant offends anyone, but was hanging in a bar with a young guy who served three tours with the Marine Corps that I've been trying to get into counseling when a strapping guy his age who didn't serve but felt the need to interrupted our conversation to thank my young friend, "for his service."
PS - as we approach Memorial Day, I hope folks really take the time to think about what it means to send young people off to fight wars, that you aren't willing to fight in.
Location: IN>Germany>ND>OH>TX>CA>Currently NoVa and a Vacation Lake House in PA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheWiseWino
First, on behalf of all the vets that appreciate the sentiment, don't let my rant keep you from thanking them.
Just don't thank me.
Cause here's the thing, I've never been thanked for serving by another vet.
I guess you're going to have to wear a sign or get a tattoo or something, because how the heck and I suppose to know if you want thanked or not?
As a vet and someone that lives in the DC area I've thanked plenty of vets and active duty service members for their service. I was having a discussion on the Metro one day with a fellow veteran about our time overseas, and we were thanked by an Army Major. I think it's something nice we should all do for each other. It's similar to the idea behind the salute. I don't know what you hope to accomplish with your rant, but you're being unrealistic. Maybe that person thanking you feels good about doing so. Maybe it's not all about you.
Also, thanks for your service. You can thank me later.
Personally, I think that anyone who has fought in any war (or "conflict") after WWII did so for the wrong reasons -- either they were gullible and misled (the case with my ex-boyfriend), they didn't know what else to do with their lives (the case with one of my son's friends), they were pressured by their families to join (the case with my husband), and/or they wanted the benefits (current and future).
And I am truly and sincerely sorry if THIS offends anyone!
Ok...we get it! You're gonna make sure that post-Vietnam never happens again and our vets will be treated with respect blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...
Let's get the hell over Vietnam for once and lay off the fawning respect and obsequious pro-veterans language. You love our military...message received.
All this attention and praise lavished on veterans was engineered by the warmongers themselves (most of whom never wore a uniform), it is so cynical at its core, because the real meaning behind it is to make ones service in some hell hole of a war zone the U.S. government created to be so sacrosanct that speaking out against war is considered something akin to treason, and peer pressure works. Make the brave soul who speaks out isolated, while all those around him/her are busy thanking vets and putting magnetic ribbons on their cars. Make churches places where it is better to praise and pray than to speak out against the inhumanity of war.
For the younger vets people are trying to be polite about an unpopular war. Would you rather they be treated like the Vietnam vets?
Here we go again with the Vietnam Vets nonsense.
Vietnam Vets were treated just fine. This whole overboard praise of the military is totally misplaced if it's based on post Vietnam.
That's what I was talking about earlier. The need for some sort of weird redemption based on what so-called happened after Vietnam.
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