Do military/war veterans deserve respect?

[an anarchist]

Do military/war veterans deserve our respect for being a military/war veteran?

I have had several friends up and join the military. I have been best of buds with grizzled war veterans. I never gave them disrespect, though I myself didn’t join the military on account of my moral principles. I guess I understand the intent and can compartmentalize and respect the intent an American has when they join the armed forces. Example: one of my former best friends joined because 9/11 happened and he ended up deep in Afghanistan. I can respect the reason he signed up, but can I respect his actions? I never told him “thank you for your service” but I did offer a listening ear and a lot of beer.

Everyone seems to be like “Iraq War? BOOOOOOOOOI! Vietnam War? BOOOOOO!!!” And yea of course people don’t like that those wars happened.

I just see cognitive dissonance I guess. People are like “That war was awful, we should have never been there!” then are like “Thanks for fighting that war for us, bud!”

What is the proper attitude? I feel bad for veterans, but maybe they end up messed up because they messing around where they shouldn’t. I suppose it’s just a tragedy.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Do military/war veterans deserve our respect for being a military/war veteran?

I have had several friends up and join the military. I have been best of buds with grizzled war veterans. I never gave them disrespect, though I myself didn’t join the military on account of my moral principles. I guess I understand the intent and can compartmentalize and respect the intent an American has when they join the armed forces. Example: one of my former best friends joined because 9/11 happened and he ended up deep in Afghanistan. I can respect the reason he signed up, but can I respect his actions? I never told him “thank you for your service” but I did offer a listening ear and a lot of beer.

Everyone seems to be like “Iraq War? BOOOOOOOOOI! Vietnam War? BOOOOOO!!!” And yea of course people don’t like that those wars happened.

I just see cognitive dissonance I guess. People are like “That war was awful, we should have never been there!” then are like “Thanks for fighting that war for us, bud!”

What is the proper attitude? I feel bad for veterans, but maybe they end up messed up because they messing around where they shouldn’t. I suppose it’s just a tragedy.

I have respect and thanks for people who would agree to follow every legal order, no matter what happens, for their term of service.

Here, a lot of the soldiers who got sent to Afghanistan had originally signed up expecting peacekeeping missions.

It's up to us as voters to make sure that the wars we send our soldiers to fight are worth fighting and dying for.

 

[Jimmy]

You’re free aren’t you?

 

[Twilight Hue]

You’re free aren’t you?

Yep and that's why I respect all servicemen and veterans who had joined the military and served because of their love for country and the willingness to put their life on the line.

 

[anotherneil]

Do military/war veterans deserve our respect for being a military/war veteran?

I have had several friends up and join the military. I have been best of buds with grizzled war veterans. I never gave them disrespect, though I myself didn’t join the military on account of my moral principles. I guess I understand the intent and can compartmentalize and respect the intent an American has when they join the armed forces. Example: one of my former best friends joined because 9/11 happened and he ended up deep in Afghanistan. I can respect the reason he signed up, but can I respect his actions? I never told him “thank you for your service” but I did offer a listening ear and a lot of beer.

Everyone seems to be like “Iraq War? BOOOOOOOOOI! Vietnam War? BOOOOOO!!!” And yea of course people don’t like that those wars happened.

I just see cognitive dissonance I guess. People are like “That war was awful, we should have never been there!” then are like “Thanks for fighting that war for us, bud!”

What is the proper attitude? I feel bad for veterans, but maybe they end up messed up because they messing around where they shouldn’t. I suppose it’s just a tragedy.

I'm a military brat, but I'm not sure how to answer this.

When I hear this sort of "thank you for your service" sentiment, I guess there's nothing wrong with it; it's meant to show respect, I suppose, but it reminds me of this scene from Futurama:

I feel like I'd be patronizing those who serve in the military, in the same manner as this Futurama scene for breaking a window, and not offering to pay for it.

I'm the type who would offer to pay for the cleanup and replacement of the window, rather than dump a useless apology on them.

I'm also not the type of person with the inclination to go up to someone who has never served in the military and expresses the "thank you for your service" sentiment to those who have, but I do wonder whether they'd be willing to grab a weapon to defend their nation.

I feel like I'd rather grab a weapon to defend my country, and I'd do that without demanding a patch on my arm (as in A Few Good Men)

than just go around being patronizing with "thank you for your service" and doing nothing more, myself.

That isn't going to compensate them for their sacrifice, or fix their injuries, or help with expenses.

However, if there are service men & women with PTSD, in a situation like this, where it could help get their spirits up, maybe it would be acceptable.

I don't know how many people are aware of the suicide rate by men & women who have served in the military, but it's dozens per day (it ought to be 0 per day, every day).

Concerns Rise Over Military Suicide Rates; Here’s How the USO is Trying to Help

Suicide rates among active-duty military members have been increasing over the past few years at an alarming pace. Here is how the USO is trying to help service members and military families prevent military suicide.

www.uso.org

Fisher House Foundation is another organization; they're involved in providing housing for families of veterans in hospitals to be with them for free, and they're funded by donations: About - Fisher House Foundation

Sometimes there are these commercials on TV for collecting donations, for service men & women who have been injured and disabled, from individual donors. Some service men & women have had their hands, feet, arms, legs, eyes, or part of their face blown off or burned, and these donations help out with providing them homes and other things that they need to deal with their injuries and disabilities.

I would imagine there are other donation-based organizations to help out veterans, but how about if we really wanted to thank them, we push for the US government to fully cover all such expenses for life? It's the US government that decided to send them off to some overseas place far beyond our borders to fight. I think this is one way to show them some respect.

Maybe another thing we could do to show them some respect is to stop sending them to fight wars overseas for oil and other resources or to fight for the interests of banksters and crony capitalists.

 

[anotherneil]

You’re free aren’t you?

Define "free".

 

[VoidCat]

I'm not a service member. I don't know their feelings regarding thanking them. But war and working in the military can be traumatic. They deserve respect to me by virtue of being human and such but I am not sure thanking them for their service is a good way to go. To me it's like saying hey thanks for putting your life on the line and being severely traumatized as a result and now the government won't help you with **** but thank you for your service. It's cheap words. I'd rather show support through actions. But I'm not military. And I feel that shaming folk for being in the military isn't good either. I don't think how people treated others returning from Vietnam were right to spit at and be rude to service members. You treat people with respect don't be awful like that.

I know @The Hammer is a service member. To him I'll ask if he wishes to answer he doesnt have to- do you think people should thank you for your service?

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I much prefer to say "thank you for your service" when meeting teachers.

 

[LuisDantas]

It is one thing to have respect for the people.

It is another, entirely different and arguably at odds, to have much or any enthusiasm for the continued existence of the institution. Or at least its continued growth and consumption of very valuable human and fiscal resources for often very questionable goals.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

Do military/war veterans deserve our respect for being a military/war veteran?

Those are two different questions. I'm a vet (US Army, 1972-75), but never saw war. I enlisted to serve my own needs, which at that stage in life included a time out from university and a chance to grow up a bit more in a structured environment to improve self-discipline. I was of value to my country writing computer programs for the Pentagon, but I wasn't there for them. That also benefitted me.

I don't need or deserve thanks.

 

[VoidCat]

I googled apparently older vets prefer being thanked while younger vets don't

Younger veterans uncomfortable with ‘thank you for your service,’ poll finds

Younger American veterans and military personnel who receive a spoken thanks for their service are more apt to think “thanks but no thanks,” according to a new poll.

www.stripes.com

The reason is because Vietnam vets were treated really poorly returning home so they feel it's nice hearing it now and younger vets choose here in the US to serve they weren't drafted. So they feel there's a lack of understanding and such. That it's empty words.

 

[VoidCat]

Those are two different questions. I'm a vet (US Army, 1972-75), but never saw war. I enlisted to serve my own needs, which at that stage in life included a time out from university and a chance to grow up a bit more in a structured environment to improve self-discipline. I was of value to my country writing computer programs for the Pentagon, but I wasn't there for them. That also benefitted me.

I don't need or deserve thanks.

I respect your ability to write computer programs. Not because of being a vet but because it seems like it can be difficult writing them.

 

[VoidCat]

Those are two different questions. I'm a vet (US Army, 1972-75), but never saw war. I enlisted to serve my own needs, which at that stage in life included a time out from university and a chance to grow up a bit more in a structured environment to improve self-discipline. I was of value to my country writing computer programs for the Pentagon, but I wasn't there for them. That also benefitted me.

I don't need or deserve thanks.

This is part why according to the article i just posted in post #11 that many younger vets don't feel they deserve thanks. Because they chose to serve and don't feel they should be thanked for doing a job they signed up for.

I can see the logic with what you posted here.

 

[SalixIncendium]

As a veteran, I don't feel I'm due any more respect than anyone else. I actually feel a bit awkward when I'm thanked for my service.

Most of us are in the service sector and serve other people in one way or another, either directly or indirectly. I'm no more special than anyone else.

 

[an anarchist]

Because they chose to serve and don't feel they should be thanked for doing a job they signed up for.

One of my high school friends signed up for the National Guard explicitly for the paid college education after his service. Ended up overseas, wonder if it was worth it. But I imagine he’d be in that boat, as he had purely selfish reasons for joining.

 

[SalixIncendium]

You’re free aren’t you?

Nope. I charge for my professional services.

 

[LuisDantas]

One of my high school friends signed up for the National Guard explicitly for the paid college education after his service. Ended up overseas, wonder if it was worth it. But I imagine he’d be in that boat, as he had purely selfish reasons for joining.

I sure get the impression that both here in Brazil and in the USA a wide chunk of people sign up for the military forces because it is difficult to pay for college otherwise.

That in itself is a major reason to reconsider the system and to pursue alternatives.

 

[The Hammer]

As a veteran, I don't feel I'm due any more respect than anyone else. I actually feel a bit awkward when I'm thanked for my service.

I've always felt awkward being thanked for my service. While I understand that people want to be polite and respectful, I don't find it as either.

I joined for my own reasons, and did what I had to do to serve my contract honorably. That's it.

I do and will thank Vietnam vets if I recognize them. But that's for the aforementioned BS some of them went through returning.

Most of us are in the service sector and serve other people in one way or another, either directly or indirectly. I'm no more special than anyone else.

Yes.

 

[The Hammer]

Do military/war veterans deserve our respect for being a military/war veteran?

They deserve your respect for being human.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I've always felt awkward being thanked for my service. While I understand that people want to be polite and respectful, I don't find it as either.

I'm not a veteran myself, but some of the "thank you for your service" interactions I've witnessed have come across pretty cringey.

Lots are sincere, but I get the impression from some that they're making a show of it: that it's about demonstrating to anyone watching that they're the sort of person who "supports the troops."

Personally, I don't see it as very respectful to use service members or veterans as props for their own self-aggrandizement.