"Thank you for your service" - a Navy veteran's rant.

My aunt cleaned the offices of a military base at night in the 70's. She should have gotten a Gold Star.

 

Didn't even work for NASA. A NASA subcontractor.

 

My dad, as I posted above, served during both WWII and Korea. He never saw action.

His one-year-older brother was killed over Normandy and his two-year-younger brother was the 35-year USAF full colonel.

My dad never stood for military salutes, although he died in early 2001, so he missed the full flower of current day military fetishism.

He said the salutes were for guys who'd really been under fire.

 

It just seems to be part of the narrative every time a group of Vietnam veterans takes an Honor Flight to DC.

“We didn’t get a homecoming.”

It’s been 45-50 years. When does it end?
The cynic is me says this perfectly sums up the baby boomer generation. Or for me to be even more obnoxious... the greatest generation saved the world from fascism and then went home to start families and raise the biggest generation of self-centered Americans that humanity has ever seen. (Ducking)

The phrase “I’m a combat veteran” is now like having diplomatic tags.

Two weeks ago, I wake up at 11 pm on a Friday by someone reviving a motorcycle outside my next door neighbors house. And blaring music. It’s a new neighbor, having just moved in.

I calmly walk over to the motorcycle guy and ask him to stop. He said he’s just leaving. Except he’s not. He’s standing by his motorcycle now and revving it with his hand. Won’t even turn the music down.

Then he tells me to F off. Finally leaves, revving the motorcycle the whole way.

I knock on the neighbor’s door.

“I’ve lived here 12 years. You’ve been here a week. Is this what it’s going to be like at night?”

“Uh, we’re both combat veterans.”

Me: “Gee. What do I say to that? Thank you for your service. Tell your friend to ride a bicycle next time.”

It’s still unresolved.

For the lionizing of veterans, when does it end? I see some events where first responders are honored and everyone then stands up to applause. Sometimes teachers.

When the day comes to honor people at sporting events who worked 40 years straight, paid more in federal taxes every year than the previous year to pay for the spectacle of our society — all while never getting arrested with the freedoms our society allow — then I’ll gladly stand up and wave.

And take my 10% off breakfast at the nearest Perkins.

 

Space Food Sticks > Tang

The inventor of Tang also is responsible for Cool Whip.

 

Cool Wuh-hip?

 

Space Food Sticks are currently known as Little Debbie Brownies.

 

Now ... the self-aggrandizing sorts can go away IMO. The guess here is that many veterans feel this way as well.

Most are not asking for the world to lick their boots.

 

Yes it did, although not to the extent some would have us believe. But I have older relatives who were called "baby-killer" and otherwise hassled in public places in uniform.

 

In the first half of the Vietnam war, hippie protesters had pity/sympathy for the soldiers, i.e., "it's awful you got sent off to war," etc etc. Needless to say a lot of military people weren't too hot on the paternalistic/condescending attitude, even if it was superficially sympathetic.

After My Lai, the "baby killer" trope got some traction, although everybody knew the "baby killers" were only a tiny tiny fraction of the US fighting forces.

In any case, any hippie-freak-protester types who really considered soldiers "baby killers" knew the average soldier could annihilate the average hippie-freak in any kind of street fight, so the actual frequency of screamed insults and face-spitting was probably extremely rare.

But again, the bottom line was, no roaring victory parades.

 

For me, it's hard to explain, and probably harder for others to understand.

When I'm at some event, and they ask for veterans to stand, I do; in my mind, that belongs to me. When someone gives me a perfunctory "thank you for your service" it feels like they are taking from me.

That's probably weird as crap, but that's just how it hits me.