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I was in during Desert Storm and I have the national defense medal. My papers list me as a "Gulf War Veteran". I have never considered my self as a Gulf War Vet or refered to myself as such since I was never there. I don't think its right.
Do you think one who is in during a war, but not over there fighting it, is a "veteran" of that war or just a veteran?
Do you think one who is in during a war, but not over there fighting it, is a "veteran" of that war or just a veteran?
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 22
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The way I look at it is like this now, and it applies to all branches:
You walked through the door and (edit: held not help) up your hand. You are a veteran of the American Armed Forces.
If you did so during war time (regardless of your occupation specialty) you are a war veteran. Though it may not be likely there was still a chance you would be grabbed from the supply closet under the pentagon and shipped to a war zone with a rifle in your hand, because face it, if they need bodies they are more likely to grab you than justin beiber...
The tricky one is combat veteran. Personally I feel that you only rate that when you have been 'shot at' in some form (ied, mortar, direct, captured, etc.) because that is an actual action.
Though I feel both the war status and combat status are equal; it could have happened to any of us, not just those that left the wire. We were all there. Had our 'enemy' been more organized, equipped, etc. they could have stormed the bases or other actions that got more of the war veterans involved more actively.
And I remember talking to one of my buddies who got a small scrape after an IED attack who felt he did not deserve the Purple Heart. I told him hey, first of all, you got hurt. No matter how slight, that is what it is for. And second, IMO more importantly, you not only wear that as the one who got hurt. You wear that as a service member that has put himself in harms way, taken that harm, and come out the other side. You are in a long line of those who not only stared fear in the eye like the rest of us, but you stared fear death in the eye and kept pumping. Despite the severity you represent the warrior spirit that has made this military the greatest in the world. Wear it to remind those around you that courage is not just running towards bullets, it is coming back for more.
...sorry that is a little long. kinda did a bit of a rant, but I hope that helps someone else understand that their sacrifice wasn't for nothing...
You walked through the door and (edit: held not help) up your hand. You are a veteran of the American Armed Forces.
If you did so during war time (regardless of your occupation specialty) you are a war veteran. Though it may not be likely there was still a chance you would be grabbed from the supply closet under the pentagon and shipped to a war zone with a rifle in your hand, because face it, if they need bodies they are more likely to grab you than justin beiber...
The tricky one is combat veteran. Personally I feel that you only rate that when you have been 'shot at' in some form (ied, mortar, direct, captured, etc.) because that is an actual action.
Though I feel both the war status and combat status are equal; it could have happened to any of us, not just those that left the wire. We were all there. Had our 'enemy' been more organized, equipped, etc. they could have stormed the bases or other actions that got more of the war veterans involved more actively.
And I remember talking to one of my buddies who got a small scrape after an IED attack who felt he did not deserve the Purple Heart. I told him hey, first of all, you got hurt. No matter how slight, that is what it is for. And second, IMO more importantly, you not only wear that as the one who got hurt. You wear that as a service member that has put himself in harms way, taken that harm, and come out the other side. You are in a long line of those who not only stared fear in the eye like the rest of us, but you stared fear death in the eye and kept pumping. Despite the severity you represent the warrior spirit that has made this military the greatest in the world. Wear it to remind those around you that courage is not just running towards bullets, it is coming back for more.
...sorry that is a little long. kinda did a bit of a rant, but I hope that helps someone else understand that their sacrifice wasn't for nothing...
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MAJ (Join to see)
I agree with this. My wife is a War Veteran who never deployed. I am a War Veteran who did deploy (OIF). I am not, however, a Combat Veteran, since even though I was deployed to combat areas, I was not in combat itself.
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Whatever makes you comfortable. If you want to call yourself that, then you should because on the official side, you do indeed rate that title. But if it would make you feel phony, then keep doin what you're doin. My personal opinion: if you didn't visit the region in question (Gulf War, Afghanistan, Vietnam, etc), it'd probably be best to just say "vet" without throwing the nation or region in front of it.
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I think you are a Veteran of that era, the fact that you did not get sent there should not diminish your service to our nation, its just the luck of the draw.
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