How To Thank Veterans For Their Service

[Midpack]

I think about the sacrifice our service members make on our behalf many times during the year, but this is the day officially designated to say thanks. I am truly grateful for all the men and women who have served, my life wouldn’t be possible without their service.

How To Thank Veterans For Their Military Service

 

[cooch96]

I appreciate the sentiment, Midpack. And I’d like to thank you for your support and tax dollars which paid for my education, training, and salary.

 

[braumeister]

Very nice sentiments expressed in that. Thanks for thinking of it.

I'm one of those who feel a bit awkward when I hear the thanks. In my family it was simply normal. Dad was severely wounded in Italy during WW II. Mom was a WAC and both her brothers were in the Navy in WW II. I somehow made it through Vietnam relatively unscathed. Those were very different times, though. Only about 7% of all living Americans have ever served in the military, and that percentage is steadily decreasing.

 

[Amethyst]

One of the best uses for tax dollars that Congress ever came up with. I know a number of smart veterans, from poor families that could never have afforded to send them to college. Because of the GI bill (and their own smarts of course) they have had good careers and are in high-paying contractor jobs or happily retired.

I appreciate the sentiment, Midpack. And I’d like to thank you for your support and tax dollars which paid for my education, training, and salary.

 

[target2019]

I think about the sacrifice our service members make on our behalf many times during the year, but this is the day officially designated to say thanks. I am truly grateful for all the men and women who have served, my life wouldn’t be possible without their service.

How To Thank Veterans For Their Military Service

+infinity

 

[Red Badger]

Thanks Midpack.

Like braumeister, I can also have an awkward moment when folks express their gratitude. However, I do my best to respond that my long army career was a high honor. Because, it was indeed.

To all veterans here (and to those who support you as well), enjoy today. It belongs to you.

 

[Gumby]

Thanks Midpack.

Like braumeister, I can also have an awkward moment when folks express their gratitude. However, I do my best to respond that my long army career was a high honor. Because, it was indeed.

To all veterans here (and to those who support you as well), enjoy today. It belongs to you.

It was indeed an honor to serve. When I look back at all the things I've done in my life, I am most proud of the things I did in the Navy.

 

[Huston55]

Hopefully, one day this will become a moot point when we have mandatory national service (military or non-military) and everyone serves.

Until then, I’d quote one of the Vets in the article, “Don’t say something, do something” to show your thanks.

 

[MRG]

One of the best uses for tax dollars that Congress ever came up with. I know a number of smart veterans, from poor families that could never have afforded to send them to college. Because of the GI bill (and their own smarts of course) they have had good careers and are in high-paying contractor jobs or happily retired.

+1

I've know a bunch of folks who benefited from the formal and informal education.

I had the privilge of a former Marine being my mentor. Wow, what a guy! He gives the Marines credit for saving his life. He'd had a rough childhood and ran with the wrong crowd.

He's enriched my life with some of the discipline he'd been taught. The guy represents leadership and never saying I can't! I'd never been exposed to anyone who had that much confidence before. For me it was life changing.

I benefited directly from his experience.

Thank you for service.

 

[atmsmshr]

Some of the everyday sacrifices made by members of the military and their families may not be fully understood for those who never served or had a family member serve.

I am in awe of those who risked life and limb in combat to uphold their sworn oath to defend the constitution.

Any of the benefits citizens give the servicemen helps to make up some for the low pay, long deployments, incredibly long work weeks and very real personal risks.


Most vets like the brief but sincere 'thank you for your service.'

 

[audreyh1]

Yay GI bill! Without it DH would not have been able to get a college degree as his parents were pretty much broke after a divorce. His four years served were a great international education for a young man as well as making it possible for him to go to college.

 

[Scuba]

One of the best uses for tax dollars that Congress ever came up with. I know a number of smart veterans, from poor families that could never have afforded to send them to college. Because of the GI bill (and their own smarts of course) they have had good careers and are in high-paying contractor jobs or happily retired.

+1, very happy to have our tax dollars support our military including veterans.

 

[samclem]

It was indeed an honor to serve. When I look back at all the things I've done in my life, I am most proud of the things I did in the Navy.

+1 (except USAF ). A tremendous chance to work with great people and do something worthwhile.

I always thought my wife and child made larger sacrifices than I did. I think it strange when people, usually upon retirement, thank their spouse for making their military career possible. Frankly, I could have been just as successful in my career without a spouse--better availability, able to take any assignment, etc. IMO, the average military spouse doesn't make a servicemember's career a possibility, they do something far more noble and important: They make it possible for the servicemember to have a family under some very "non-optimum" conditions. Hats/covers/helmets off to them.

 

[REWahoo]

I always thought my wife and child made larger sacrifices than I did.

IMO, the average military spouse doesn't make a servicemember's career a possibility, they do something far more noble and important: They make it possible for the servicemember to have a family under some very "non-optimum" conditions. Hats/covers/helmets off to them.

+1

I was TDY ("gone") for a cumulative three years of the eight I spent in the military. Far harder on my wife and kids than on me.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

When people say "thanks for your service" to me, I either say "it was an honor to simply have served," or I just reply "you're welcome."

The Navy took pretty good care of me and my family, and continues to do so, even in retirement.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks for posting, Midpack. And thanks to all veterans for their sacrifice and commitment to our country. We went to a Veterans Day service this morning. I thanked the Marine Corps veteran seated next to me. It wasn't awkward for either of us.

 

[braumeister]

When people say "thanks for your service" to me, I either say "it was an honor to simply have served," or I just reply "you're welcome."

I also like "Thanks for your support" as a good comeback line.

 

[mickeyd]

When someone years ago thanked me for my 20+ years of army service I was unsure how to handle it since no one had ever thanked me for doing my job.


When I came back from spending 12 months as an infantry officer in Vietnam no one thanked me. Most folks in the 70's would just look the other way so they would not have to acknowledge your gaze. Others spit on me and called me names like baby killer.


I am glad that the current crop of servicemen do not have to be exposed to that nonsense. After all, we were all just doing what the American people sent us to do.

 

[ziggy29]

When someone years ago thanked me for my 20+ years of army service I was unsure how to handle it since no one had ever thanked me for doing my job.

When I came back from spending 12 months as an infantry officer in Vietnam no one thanked me. Most folks in the 70's would just look the other way so they would not have to acknowledge your gaze. Others spit on me and called me names like baby killer.

9/11 changed everything in terms of attitudes toward veterans and emergency first responders.

 

[Dash man]

When someone years ago thanked me for my 20+ years of army service I was unsure how to handle it since no one had ever thanked me for doing my job.


When I came back from spending 12 months as an infantry officer in Vietnam no one thanked me. Most folks in the 70's would just look the other way so they would not have to acknowledge your gaze. Others spit on me and called me names like baby killer.


I am glad that the current crop of servicemen do not have to be exposed to that nonsense. After all, we were all just doing what the American people sent us to do.

+9,999,999
I didn’t serve in Vietnam, but still felt some discomfort wearing a uniform in public in the early 80s when I joined up. Fortunately it began to change for the better as my career progressed.
My hope is people will be truly informed and not just listen to political partisan gibberish. So few are truly informed on the state of the world and make decisions on soundbite media or peer pressure from friends, or in many cases a single issue is their deciding factor in voting. Please take the time to evaluate issues at all levels of government before going to the ballot box. That’s what we served for.

 

[Walt34]

One of the best uses for tax dollars that Congress ever came up with. I know a number of smart veterans, from poor families that could never have afforded to send them to college.

One of the cultural things I noticed after moving from near D.C. to West Virginia is the high regard given here to those who choose to enlist in one of the military services. As most people know WV is not a wealthy state and military service has enabled millions of people to "bootstrap" themselves into a better life situation either by virtue of training such as air traffic control or electronics and the like, or the G.I. bill, or by staying in the military for a career.

I read recently that WV has the highest, or one of the highest, per capita rates of military service of any state in the country.

 

[Ronstar]

This thread is veering off topic and toward the political arena. The moderator team realizes the sensitivity of the subject matter and hope that all posters keep the thread from being closed due to political comments.

 

[Bigdawg]

This thread is veering off topic and toward the political arena. The moderator team realizes the sensitivity of the subject matter and hope that all posters keep the thread from being closed due to political comments.

Ronstar, Thanks for a bit of latitude on this special day.

This is our day. Not Memorial Day. I do not like being thanked for my service on that day. That is not my day. "Thanks for your support" is my standard response when thanked for my service. It was an honor to serve active duty for 23 years. I would do it again if my country needed me. So to my fellow vet's, thank you for your service.

 

[Ronstar]

Ronstar, Thanks for a bit of latitude on this special day.



This is our day. Not Memorial Day. I do not like being thanked for my service on that day. That is not my day. "Thanks for your support" is my standard response when thanked for my service. It was an honor to serve active duty for 23 years. I would do it again if my country needed me. So to my fellow vet's, thank you for your service.

I know what you mean. It seems like people confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day.

ETA - and you’re right - it is a special day. I grew up in a military family and this day was special. And my mom served my dad sh*t on a shingle on this day to remind him of his Navy days.

 

[samclem]

One of the cultural things I noticed after moving from near D.C. to West Virginia is the high regard given here to those who choose to enlist in one of the military services. As most people know WV is not a wealthy state and military service has enabled millions of people to "bootstrap" themselves into a better life situation either by virtue of training such as air traffic control or electronics and the like, or the G.I. bill, or by staying in the military for a career.

I read recently that WV has the highest, or one of the highest, per capita rates of military service of any state in the country.

When I deployed for Desert Shield, I was part of a rapidly lashed together active duty/ANG airlift wing. All the ANG guys were volunteers, and most were from WV. Lots of the crews were airline pilots who were losing a LOT of money by leaving their jobs. One very "mature" WVANG LtCol told me that his dad had been a coal miner, and so had both of his grandfathers. He would have been a coal miner, too, but he enlisted in the Guard and eventually got a college degree and commission, then went to USAF pilot training, which enabled him to join the airlines as his "real" job. He figured the Guard had been very good to him, and he was happy to volunteer for the long deployment. There were a lot like him.
An aside: It's an interesting thing when you merge a bunch of Active Duty and ANG/Reserve folks and try to form a unit--if you go by seniority in filling the key jobs, then they all get filled by the ANG/Reserve folks (who may have been in their present rank for a loooong time, measured in calendar years), with the Active Duty guys as the worker bees. Add in the fact that the ANG/Reserve guys know each other very well from growing up in the same town, etc, and there's some real potential for discord. But everything went well, despite these factors.