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Man, I seriously thought I was the only one who pondered this. I'm dense that way. To be honest, it makes me feel awkward. As my drill instructor said "Don't thank me. The DoD thanks me every month." But yeah: Why would they thank me? I didn't do it for them. I did it for me, and my need to pay back what I was given. But also, I never served in a rifle unit, and even if I had, I served in peacetime. But I do understand their gratitude. They're not thanking "me", they're thanking every Vet and active duty who agreed to put their life in danger. We have no business being butt-nuggets to them. I just smile, thank them, and ask if they'd ever consider giving to the Wounded Warrior Fund. That's it.
I think most people are trying to be sincere, so I am always very polite. I always smile and return their handshake and tell them military life has been good to me. Recently I had this conversation when I had some guests in my home on an informal business matter. One young man had recently tried unsuccessfully to get into the Army and was still a little bummed out that he was unable to get in. He told me he appreciated me serving. We were standing in my home, which is not small and is pretty nice. We don't have cheap furniture either. As usual I told him it has been good to me and my family. I laughed and said, "Just look around you." He laughed as well. If I can add some levity to that conversation I always will. The truth is I feel the amount of sacrifice I've made while serving in the Marine Corps is far surpassed by many others serving across all the branches of the service, so I try to remain humble. I also take stock of the many ways serving has benefitted me and my family. It truly is not false humility when I say that serving has been very good to me.
Professional soldiers get my thanks when they cash their pay checks.
Are you serious? You obviously have no ideal what your talking about. Serving in the military can be a 24hr job sometimes! Plus add the possibility off losing life and limb, and you think that is worth the few hunderd we pay our boys? According to your logic?
We civilians are truly doing the best we can. Most of us do have veterans best interests in our hearts and on our minds. Please give us some credits where credits are due.
Indeed a lot of civilians truly are. I certainly don't do what I do for a pat on the back, nor do I expect one from anyone. I really do appreciate places that offer support (like the restaurants that offer free meals on Veteran's Day) because I see them making an effort to show their appreciation. I don't need to see that, but it is nice to see. Some people can't relate, but they can communicate a sincere thanks. That will always be good enough for me.
One of the most humbling experiences of my life was when a WWII veteran who landed on Iwo Jima on the first wave shook my hand and thanked me for my service. What do you say to a man like that? My experiences do not even compare to his. I returned his thanks and said I wouldn't be serving today if he hadn't served in his time.
Indeed a lot of civilians truly are. I certainly don't do what I do for a pat on the back, nor do I expect one from anyone. I really do appreciate places that offer support (like the restaurants that offer free meals on Veteran's Day) because I see them making an effort to show their appreciation. I don't need to see that, but it is nice to see. Some people can't relate, but they can communicate a sincere thanks. That will always be good enough for me.
One of the most humbling experiences of my life was when a WWII veteran who landed on Iwo Jima on the first wave shook my hand and thanked me for my service. What do you say to a man like that? My experiences do not even compare to his. I returned his thanks and said I wouldn't be serving today if he hadn't served in his time.
Exactly, its how i felt and feel when i met a WWII vet when i was just 18 in the service also you nailed it on the head on how i felt about my 4years.
It's nice that your dad is grateful when someone shows him a kind word.
My dad is a WWII veteran. My husband a veteran of Vietnam. My nephew is back and forth to Afghanistan on six inch centers.
Dad's gone now, but neither my husband nor my nephew appreciate strangers approaching them with a "Thank you for your service." They think it is intrusive and awkward.
They want decent medical care, decent pay, they want to be treated like the honorable men they are. My husband still feels betrayed by Vietnam. We were there for bogus reasons. Sound familiar?
Our soldiers signed up to defend our country, not Halliburton. There was no evidence that Afghanistan attacked us on 9/11 or that Iraq had WMDs for that matter. This whole thing has been a huge mess, cost a lot of lives, left countless people with injuries that will never heal.
$100 donation to the Disabled American Veterans, picking up a bar tab, or a teary-eyed thank-you doesn't cover it. Not by a long shot.
But there's nothing wrong with doing any of those things, either.
Do you really think that every person who crosses a servicemember's path is obligated to "cover it," when there isn't any possible way that any person can "cover" the atrocities of war or political manipulation? That doesn't make saying, "Thank you for sacrifices you made" any less heartfelt or meaningful. If you or yours want to consider sincere gratitude to be pointless lip service, that's on you, but recognize that the spirit in which you choose take something doesn't necessarily mirror the spirit in which it is intended or offered. You look at it as "mealy-mouthed" BS. To the mother and young wife of a fallen Navy diver killed in a training accident who thanked my husband for his service at the funeral, it wasn't mealy-mouthed, OR BS.
Your point is well-taken that there are many ways in which veterans in some instances could be better cared for after the job they have undertaken has cost them in various ways. I think you'll find that many people agree with you. It's a point well-taken, as well, that there are people who do get screwed over. But it also seems foolish to minimize genuine gratitude/expressions of it, because you feel that people deserve more from their employer/their country. It's not the little old lady thanking the funeral honors guard's fault that there are servicemen who feel betrayed by Vietnam. It's not the teacher thanking the servicemen and women who come to career day in her high school classroom who is at fault when benefits are whittled down. She didn't necessarily vote the people who made those decisions into office. I am no fan of our military presence, past or current, in Iraq and Afghanistan, myself. Wasn't before I met my serviceman husband, and am not, now. But that doesn't hinder my appreciation for men and women who have chosen a job that requires them to make significant sacrifices for a country they believe in.
My husband has better pay and medical care than he did when he was an inner city middle school teacher, his career prior to enlistment. He doesn't feel he's getting a raw deal. He doesn't feel disrespected. He feels that his work is appreciated, and viewed with honor. He loves serving as a Navy chief, and feels very grateful for the opportunity to serve and lead in that capacity. He's not in lockstep political agreement with many, many decisions of highers-up, but he loves his job and his role. He's not even of the same personal political affiliation as the vast majority of his peers and colleagues. But he loves the work he does, and is proud of it. He's humbled and grateful when somebody thanks him for doing it. He doesn't find it awkward or intrusive. He chooses to serve because it's important to him, regardless of the fact that it's within a large, bureaucratic system with many, many, many imperfections, and he's glad when it's important to others, as well.
I assume that you do a lot of advocacy work personally on behalf of veteran's affairs...you know, the sort of thing that makes a bigger impression than a heartfelt "thank you." Perhaps you could detail ways the average person on the street, aside from being an informed voter, which may or may not ultimately make much difference, can better show their appreciation to veterans, if a simple "thank you," which isn't expected, but by most, isn't unwanted, just won't do.
Man, I seriously thought I was the only one who pondered this. I'm dense that way. To be honest, it makes me feel awkward. As my drill instructor said "Don't thank me. The DoD thanks me every month." But yeah: Why would they thank me? I didn't do it for them. I did it for me, and my need to pay back what I was given. But also, I never served in a rifle unit, and even if I had, I served in peacetime. But I do understand their gratitude. They're not thanking "me", they're thanking every Vet and active duty who agreed to put their life in danger. We have no business being butt-nuggets to them. I just smile, thank them, and ask if they'd ever consider giving to the Wounded Warrior Fund. That's it.
The DoD thanks you? Really? I'm jealous. They just give my husband the paycheck that he earns. But I don't think he's ever gotten a thank you. I'm impressed! Maybe if he were in a rifle unit...
i not only do it i pay their tabs in restaurants and bars.
i am grateful, its not about them.
our system which is affluent and very rewarding if you are willing to work, is great. unfortunately it requires our young men to periodically go get their legs blown off so that we can continue to have a great system.
I assume that you do a lot of advocacy work personally on behalf of veteran's affairs...you know, the sort of thing that makes a bigger impression than a heartfelt "thank you." Perhaps you could detail ways the average person on the street, aside from being an informed voter, which may or may not ultimately make much difference, can better show their appreciation to veterans, if a simple "thank you," which isn't expected, but by most, isn't unwanted, just won't do.
City Data will not allow me to rep you more than once but what a great post!
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