Speaking of Veterans, no one I know who's a veteran that I know likes "thank you for your service"

[Demonaut]

when in conversation you mention your time in the military.
It's a nice sentiment but it makes me feel awkward and a it's a bit weird

My comeback is "I shot a lot people when I served"

usually asked if I was a Seal?

No, photographer

[Agnosticsherbet]

1. As a veteran, I thank voters for their service.

More is done to win freedom in the ballot box than on any battlefield.

[Abnredleg]

2. I'm the same way

It just feels awkward. Military service goes back generations in our family and we've never been flag wavers. We just do our duty and then get on with life.

[kcks]

3. I do

not understand what the problem is with being told that after 23 years I say thank you and move on.

[shadowrider]

4. As a veteran

I am honored people thank me for my service.

I served a long time ago, being discharged in the late 70's.

I've had young women 18 years old thank me. I've had 80 year olds thank me.

I had one guy get out of his car at a stop light to thank me and shake my hand.

You may not like it, and that's up to you, but I cherish it.

[MineralMan]

5. I've never been bothered by it.

I rarely mention my military enlistment period, though. If asked, I will say that I was in the USAF. Totally a non-combat role. When someone thanks me for my service, I just say, "Thank you, but it was either that or be drafted."

That four-year period was spent learning many things. I was 23 years old when my enlistment ended. I returned to college, got my degree, and went on with the rest of my life. There were parts of that time that were rewarding and other parts that were stupid beyond comprehension. It was what I did for four years.

I got an expert marksman ribbon in basic training on an M-16, and that was the last time I saw one. I got sent to a total-immersion Russian language class for 9 months at Syracuse University and spent a year and a half in Turkey, a country I might never have visited. I learned a lot in both places. The end of my enlistment was spent sitting at a desk in the NSA building at Ft. Meade, MD, where I learned a great deal that disturbed me.

I left the USAF and resumed my real life. Four years. If someone wants to thank me for that, they're welcome to, but, as the saying goes, "It don't mean shit." It was just another episode of a life full of episodes.

[Throd]

6. My dad appreciates it.

[lpbk2713]

7. I didn't know how to respond ...

when someone (much younger) wished me a Happy Veteran's Day. After a short pause I just said thank you because I knew they were sincere. But I never viewed it as a "happy" occasion. Life is all about changes and I guess that is something I will have to adjust to. (USN 65 - 69)

[loyalsister]

10. People don't say "happy memorial day"

What about "I'm glad you're back" and wishing you a good future?

[shadowrider]

11. In my humble opinion

you are correct.

Happy Memorial Day just doesn't make it for me.

There is nothing happy about it.

[FreakinDJ]

8. They sure didn't appreciate me when I got back

[linuxman]

16. I think that's why it's so prevalent now.

There is a lot of guilt from the old days.

[loyalsister]

9. I have heard that from veterans, too

Not to mention, "thank you for being there to see your friends get hurt or killed" is also discomforting. We don't usually thank people for the losses they mourn.

I understand where people are coming from, but having heard your perspective from many veterans, I don't say it. Sometimes I'll ask how things are going since coming back.

[retread]

12. I know what you mean. I was drafted. It's not something I would have willingly done.

[Wounded Bear]

13. I've kind of given up, I just say "you're welcome" and move on...

For the most part, I know that the person who offers such tripe is very likely not a fellow vet. Vets don't say that very often, they usually say something like "welcome home." Since I've signed on for VA healthcare (which works pretty well for me BTW) I've taken to wear my vet hats more often, but not to troll for compliments.

I served during, but not in, Vietnam. I was never a victim of direct verbal attacks during that time, but the "thanks for your service" crowd seems more motivated towards making themselves feel better than any good feeling toward me. It hardly ever seems sincere, but I never go that route when it happens. Like I said, I just say "you're welcome" and move on.

[clarice]

14. It's something that I say often, to Police, Armed forces people, and Fire fighters..

it always seems to be appreciated.

[linuxman]

15. Eh, it's whatever.

Some vets get all butthurt over it. It can be an awkward thing to hear, considering I did it for myself.

I get it though, and I don't begrudge people there thanks. I usually just say something like "Thanks for your support", or something.

[Blanks]

17. I was a carpenter in the army...

Spent 3 years in Germany building shipping crates, then about 10 months at Ft Riley in an engineering battalion and I was in an armor battalion in the Kansas Army National Guard. First as a battalion staff NCO and then as a tank platoon leader after I went through OCS.

I hardly deserve thanks. They paid me for my work and the only time I fired my weapon was at the range.

What mildly annoys me is the rednecks that I went to high school with posting shit on Facebook as if they served, when I know that they did not. Otherwise I'm indifferent to being thanked for my service.

I feel like a fraud (accepting thanks) because while it was a sacrifice to spend time away from home and family, it was a tiny sacrifice compared to those who had to endure life threateninging operations. I don't want to snatch any of their 'deserved' appreciation.

What really annoys me is all the flag merchandise and the flag waving because I did spend a fair amount of time on guard duty in the military and taking down the flag, folding it, putting it away, saluting it and being instructed in the ways of showing proper respect for the flag and it pisses me to the gills to see people dragging their flags around in the backs of pickups like they're doing something patriotic.

But now I'm just ranting.

[UTUSN]

18. Add me to the list. For me it's a Shrub-era meme mostly used by Repuke Chickenhawks.

And when I've mentioned my p.o.v. about it here on this board I've been told a couple of times that I should just be gracious.

It's especially grating on the VA 800# in light of the past decades of their horrible headlines about their dealing with vets.

I'm appreciative of the life experience, both good and bad, my enlistment resulted in. It broadened me to things that I wouldn't have found in such a concentrated dose otherwise. And for that appreciation I wear a USN ballcap and other things, not in the gung-ho John WAYNE (fake veteran in the movies; draft dodger) kind of way, and I would like to wear these things for my own reasons without triggering an obligatory gung-ho John WAYNE type of reaction.

As Charlie RANGEL has said for many years, many enlistees join the military for reasons of not being able to get higher education and jobs rather than for the stereotypical reasons that chickenhawks imagine.

I've had bozos in Happy Hour situations come up to me because of my cap or something and SCREAM six inches from my face, "SIR! YES SIR!!!!!!" because of what they've seen in movies. Really.

I'm willing to agree that time spent is "service," but its own reward.

[yeoman6987]

19. I was in for 24 years and when people say that to me,

I thank them but to me it is so embarrassing and annoying but I won't show it. They are just trying to be nice.