Some veterans don't like to be thanked for their service, poll says

For me, it depends on the situation. If it is heartfelt and personal, I have no problem with it. If it is insincere, trite, done for publicity, etc. then I don't like it.

The article kind of touches on it, but I think a large part of society feels like veterans have paid an unwritten debt to the country that all of us owe. And simply finding a random veteran and thanking them for their service pays that exact same debt for the civilians. It "balances the scales."

Sure, she did 8 years in the Corps, with 4 7-months-long trips to hell and watched 3 battle buddies die. And that guy did 20 years in the AF working 12-14 hour days, 6 days a week even when not deployed, just to keep that overworked airframe in the sky.

But I THANKED THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE... so we're equal now. All squared up.

That... THAT I can't stand.

But I also am uncomfortable with the opposite. The hero worship "Thank you" as if I did something only ever seen in story books. Something they could never ever even POSSIBLY do.

Both extremes are uncomfortable, the first because it trivializes, the second because it exaggerates.

In my mind, I simply did a job that needed to be done. It was a job that most were unwilling to do, but also a job that most could have done, if they were willing. And yes, in my mind, it *was* service. I was SERVING my country and my fellow countrymen. Absolutely.

I make no secret of my service. I talk about what I did, where I was, and what I saw, openly and honestly (within the limits of Non-Disclosure Agreements and maintaining classifies, of course). And I would FAR prefer an honest and interested discussion of these things than an awe-struck (or trite) thank you.

Sometimes I feel like the person saying it just feels like it is something I want to hear. Other times I can feel the sincerity in their thanks. I came home to the slogans: "Baby Killer" and "You Should Have Died In Vietnam." Sometimes I feel like the thank yous I hear are just too little, too late. I really don't know how to respond, I simply say, thank you, back and go on. When I see a veteran, I just say, thank you. For reasons I really don't know, I hate the phrase, "Welcome home."

I don't because it's become obligatory and forced. Everyone just assumes because someone served they are a good, honorable person and we all know that's not true. We all know we have abusers, thieves, sex offenders, etc, in our ranks. Look at how some people are talking about Paul Whelan as a "hero" when he got a BCD for larceny, among other crimes, demoted and kicked out of the Marines. He wasn't a "hero." He didn't "serve honorably" and should get no thanks for his service. Or say a COL who held a 2 hour stand off with cops after beating his wife in front of their kids and somehow managed to retire honorably before his conviction. Those people are in every branch.

So no I don't think people should thank someone for their service and when I hear it, it feels so forced. Also why thank me for something I chose to do? There are people out there doing far more honorable things than me. I have a brother who is a volunteer firefighter. Lots of people have careers that do far more of a service to the country than I've done. I deployed to Iraq twice for what? Not defending anyone's freedom in the US. Iraq never attacked us. It was a waste of lives money and resources - and even 13 years later I keep seeing the impact of the deployments when i hear about people from my first unit unaliving themselves due to the trauma of it.

I personally don't think anyone has honest intentions behind the thanking and just feel guilty about the past.