Military or ex-Military Duers...what do you think when people "Thank you for your service"?

[Evoman]

Just wondering how you take it in your mind? Do you hate it? Do you feel happy with the gratitude.

How do you react towards people who say it? Thank them? Tell them not to thank you?

The thread on Vietnam just had me wondering....

[Recursion]

1. I appreciate it

It's usually only other vets or people whose family members are or were in, though.

[old mark]

2. I'm not too fond of it- I didn't really have much choice because of the draft,

and I enlisted just to get a better job than 11-bulletstop. I wound up in an infantry unit anyway, as an Operations Specialist...but also on an M60 machine gun crew.
I didn't like it, and it really screwed up my life, but I don't want "thanks" as if I had actually accomplished something.

mark

added: 11B was the Military Occupational Specialty code for Infantryman, and it was referred to as "11 bulletstop"...

[DevonRex]

3. I say thank you. Nt

[MineralMan]

4. I say, "Thank you."

That seems appropriate. I enlisted in the USAF in 1965 and served four years. If someone wants to thank me for that, the least I can do is acknowledge their thanks. What do I think? I think I served four years in the USAF, which sent me to language school and flew me around from one place to another. It's what I did.

Why do you ask?

[Evoman]

14. Well, it seems to me that a lot of ex-military people tend to be anti-war.

A DUer in the Vietnam thread said that he didn't want people thanking him for it. It just got me to thinking about what other vets might be thinking when somebody thanks them for their service. A lot of people seem uncomfortable with the praise. I have no thoughts or motives...I was just curious.

Thank you for answering!

[MineralMan]

22. I'm pretty anti-war, but that doesn't really have anything

to do with someone thanking me for my service.

I actually demonstrated in front of the Pentagon twice against the Vietnam war while wearing my USAF Class A dress uniform. None of my work in the Air Force ever had anything to do with Vietnam, though...not even peripherally.

[Permanut]

5. I appreciate it except

when the clown in the grocery store parking lot said "thanks for your service", then "...now, if we could just get a new Commander in Chief..."

I was wearing my Navy ball cap at the time. It's been 45 years or so since I was in, Vietnam era draftee but I didn't have to go to Nam.

So if you're a teabagger/birther/brownshirt, keep your "thanks" to yourself.

[smaug]

10. I'm with Permanut...

I accept it, but when it comes from a teabagger or other of that ilk, I tend to get testy about it. I start talking about Dumbya, pimpleass Limbaugh, and other draft dodgers then....

Tends to make them self-righteous, and really ripe for the balloon pricking.

[sarge43]

18. +1

I got that too.

I answered "Well, I served under both Nixon and Reagan. On his worst day, President Obama is a far better CinC than those two. Have a day."

[Uncle Joe]

6. I take it as a positive expression of gratitude, northing more and nothing less.

Having said that, I believe it may depend on the individual's experience in the military, some served during peace time, others during war, some may feel great guilt or shock because of witnessed atrocities, whether they committed them or not and thus feel resentment at being thanked, others; may feel, that they just did their duty.

Each case can be different as were the experiences of the hundreds of thousands if not millions of individuals that have served in the military.


Thanks for the thread, Evoman.

[RSillsbee]

7. I'm not comfortable w/ it

I don't like random strangers intruding on my space.

[Glorfindel]

8. Too little, too late

I would have appreciated it in 1968. Now, who gives a shit?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. Seeing as how I spent 4 years doing absolutely nothing beneficial I ignore them.

Usually, with the thought, "If you only knew."

[arbusto_baboso]

11. It's a pretty trite and meaningless phrase from a country that, by and large, neglects vets.

So, I usually don't say anything in reply to folks who tell me that.

Unless they're obnoxious righties, in which case I say, "I didn't serve for YOUR thanks."

[HereSince1628]

12. I never wore my service experience on my sleeve...few people knew of it

so it didn't happen.

I'm not a joiner so even though my uncle, a Legion post commander pushed me to do it, I never did any veteran's organization.

A year and a half ago, out of work and in need of medical help I went to the VA. Now, depending on the week, I get multiple recorded telephone calls that end that way. At first it was just strange, now it's just part of the end of a telephone message

But here's the thing...

A person can't walk the hallways of a Veteran's hospital and see the long term damage that military service has cost people who are no different than you except for some terrible luck and walk away untouched. Sometimes it can grab your heart and break it in an instant, like sitting in a waiting room cracking jokes about the Fox News on the TV and never noticing until the person's name is called that the young guy sitting down the couch from you was missing an arm.

Thank-you for your arm? No, it's too hard.

[Evoman]

17. Wow. Thanks for your reply.

[sarge43]

19. Yeah. There aren't enough thanks for that one. n/t

[old mark]

21. Yeah I spent a year as a patient in an Army hospital, and I was a lucky one...

I still had all my factory parts when I left...


mark

[Bandit]

13. There is an honest need for the US military

It is just too bad it has been so misused over the past four decades..I personally do not feel I deserve anyone's thanks for things I was witness to and participated in while in the service..I am ashamed for America for things I witnessed while in Vietnam..

[sarge43]

15. Mine

I appreciated it and thank them. However, personally I don't need it. I did what I did for the same reason most people do, seemed like a good idea.

I am glad people have finally realized every service member isn't personally responsible for the crap that can go on.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. I witnessed this at the post office and I felt embarrassed for the soldier

because it looked like a show. The guy went up to him, shook his hand and couldn't stop repeating the thank you. He was loud so that everyone in the place knew what he was doing. The reason I didn't buy it was that it was obvious the soldier was having trouble working the electronic mail service to send a package, but the guy thanking him was oblivious of it. Didn't offer to help me because he didn't see the soldier as a person. He saw him as an opportunity.

The soldier eventually got frustrated with the electronic service, saying something about it being too complicated and got in line.

[Evoman]

23. What an asshole!

It's like people try to "out-do" other people in trying to be patriotic and pro-military.

[RegieRocker]

20. First thing that I say "Thanks, why didn't you serve?" I love asking chicken

Hawks that question.

[qazplm]

24. uncomfortable

but I'm generally someone who doesn't feel comfortable being publicly praised anyways so it has more to do with that.

But the reality is, I signed up because I had an obligation left over from when I was enlisted and I've stayed in because retirement isn't that far away and I originally enlisted long ago because I needed money for college.

All told, that doesn't strike me as particularly heroic lol so it's hard to feel too much self-pride. Heck, teachers do more good than I do, although I was a military defense attorney for seven years so I do feel pride in that.

[timtom]

25. Honestly? I feel like slapping them.

Only to get some sense into their Foxnews-soaked heads.

timtom
USMC
1962-1966

[Mariana]

27. Exactly. The only reason most of them do it

is because they've been told to by Faux and RW radio. They never thought to do it on their own. It's embarrassing to see them jump through hoops like that. It's exactly the same as the way they say "Merry CHRISTmas!!!" to every poor store clerk starting in October every year. They never did that before they were told to, either.

USNR 1983-1989

[Turbineguy]

26. When my Son was still in the Marine Corps

He would get standing ovations in restaurants. I thought it was cool.

[noamnety]

28. I feel weird and awkward about it

If I say something of my real feelings about my service it comes across as a fuck-you to someone who was just trying to make a nice gesture.

If I smile and nod, I feel complicit in perpetuating the myth that the military is being used for something beneficial.

[Wait Wut]

29. Can't speak for myself, but...

...it makes my son uncomfortable unless it's coming from another servicemember or cops. We were out one night and a very inebriated off duty cop came up and thanked my kid for his service. My son replied, "Dude. You're in the line of fire every single day. Don't thank me, just be safe". The cop got tears in his eyes, threw his arms around my kid and hugged him.

[jmowreader]

30. I try to stay out of situations where people would do that

When it happens to me, it makes me feel VERY uncomfortable.

[cherokeeprogressive]

31. I think "You're Welcome". n/t

[RSillsbee]

32. In 1992 ish

I was coming back from NTC w/ my unit and we stopped for lunch at Circus Circus in Las Vegas. We were all in BDUs and four ( 2 males , 2 females) of us were sitting in a Pizza Restaruant in the basement having our lunch. While we were eating I noticed 4 locals giving us the eye and I told the other guy about it and told him to be ready if they tried to start some shit.

Long story short the waitress came by and dropped off our check and all 4 guys walked over and surrounded the table. I told my buddy to get ready and was just standing up to hit the guy behind me when he reached over my shoulder andgrabbed the tab and said " We'll take care of this" and walked away.

That was a the best "thank you" I ever got