We celebrated Veterans Day this past Wednesday. On that day, I stumbled across a blog posted by Wes Morgan, entitled, "I'm A Veteran - Don't Thank Me," and wanted to share it with readers.
Before I make any further comments, here's the blog:
"Yeah, yeah, I know...it has become de rigueur for folks to intone, 'thank you for your service' as soon as they find out you’re a veteran. In some cases—usually in public settings, such as athletic events or church services—it has become a ritual to ask us veterans to stand, so that we can be applauded. During my last bit of air travel, the attendant made it a point to thank veterans during the inflight announcements. Now, my Twitter stream is chock-full of local merchants offering veterans free meals, discounts and the like for the next few days.
Well, I’m pretty well sick of it.
Yeah, I 'wore the suit'...'did a hitch'...take your pick of phrases. Sure, I was trained in a job that I hoped and prayed I would never be asked to execute. (MOS 12E, Atomic Demolitions Munitions Technician — basically, man-portable atomic weapons. See the Foreign Policy article, 'The Littlest Boy', for a well-researched look into that world; I was among the last of the 12Es.) OK, so I’m a multi-generational veteran; my dad was career Army (WWII/Korea/Vietnam), my grandfather was a boatswain’s mate in WWII, my uncle was career Air Force/AFR, and I could join both the GAR and the SAR if I so desired.
None of them did any of that to get public thanks, free food or discounts — and neither did I.
While I worry that some of today’s service members join for wrong or incomplete reasons, I realize that such people existed during my service as well; nonetheless, I think it safe to say that most veterans did what they did from a sense of duty — that, despite its flaws, this nation was worth defending. Someone had to do it, and we all took our turns in so doing; no one suggested or advised that we do it, but we all wound up in the same mindset. Some volunteered, while others went willingly when drafted. Some saw combat, while others (including me) did not; some may look upon combat as proof of one’s mettle, but I’ve always thought that it was the preparedness to engage in combat, not warfare itself, that marks a veteran. The wisest NCO I’ve ever known—this man, who was my first platoon sergeant—once told me (as I looked at a wall covered in certificates and decorations from multiple nations), 'None of this makes you a soldier, Morgan; it’s being ready to do it while you hope you never have to that does it'...I think he nailed it.
So, stop thanking me. I have done nothing that those of generations before weren’t willing to do, nor have I done anything that those of future generations will not be willing to do. There are veterans who experienced things I can’t even imagine, and there are veterans who didn’t experience much at all. This isn’t Call of Duty (I despise that sales-pitch line, 'There’s a soldier in all of us'...no, there really isn’t, and I think we can all provide counterexamples more than sufficient to prove that point), nor is it Apocalypse Now or Saving Private Ryan, nor is it M*A*S*H...for many veterans, it’s just something we did when we felt it necessary.
Now, if you still REALLY want to thank me…
There are many, many veterans for whom the results of military service have been, shall we say, not nearly as simple as my 'I did my duty' attitude might suggest. Some struggle with PTSD, others with addiction, some with traumatic injuries, some with chronic health issues (physical and mental)...there’s simply isn’t the space to tell their stories. Even those veterans who are not struggling with health issues face uncertain economic situations, homelessness and difficulties in their family lives, while active duty service members, members of the Guard/Reserve and their families may face some of these issues alongside the pressure of yet another deployment.
If you want to thank veterans, find a way to help them. You don’t need a yellow ribbon on your car or a flag flying from your home; in fact, those don’t really do anything for these veterans who need help. So, instead of a free meal, a discount, or a round of applause, consider instead:
Spending some time volunteering at a VA hospital or old soldiers’ home.
Finding out if your local active duty or Guard/Reserve unit is deployed, and (if so) if their Family Support program needs help.
Finding your local VFW or American Legion post and asking how you can best help veterans in your area.
Making a donation to Army Emergency Relief, one of the best charities out there helping active duty troops.
Being an advocate to your Senators and Representative for better veterans’ care.
If you do any of these things, that will be more than enough thanks for this veteran."
I'd like to thank Mr. Morgan for sharing his thoughts and feelings on the subject with everyone. While I've never been in the military myself and wouldn't be allowed in even if I attempted to do so (health reasons), it's long bothered me to see so many in this country simply showing their support for veterans through symbolism rather than action. I have to imagine that veterans hear the phrase "Thank you for your service" so often, it comes across as an automated message after a while.
So, I recommend that we do more than just treat veterans to a simple "thank you" and bumper stickers. Here are ways to get more involved and help veterans in need:
For more information on VA hospitals, go to this link: http://www.va.gov/directory/guide/division_flsh.asp?dnum=1
To find out more your local VFW(s) and American Legion(s), go to the following links: http://www.vfw.org/ and http://www.legion.org/
To make a donation to the Army Emergency Relief, you can go here: http://www.aerhq.org/dnn563/
Lastly, to contact any senator or representative, go to this site: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Let's do more than offer a few kind words for those who volunteered to go into harm's way in order to defend our rights; let's, in turn, fight for their rights as well.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/11/10/1448297/-I-m-A-Veteran-Don-t-Thank-Me
Before I make any further comments, here's the blog:
"Yeah, yeah, I know...it has become de rigueur for folks to intone, 'thank you for your service' as soon as they find out you’re a veteran. In some cases—usually in public settings, such as athletic events or church services—it has become a ritual to ask us veterans to stand, so that we can be applauded. During my last bit of air travel, the attendant made it a point to thank veterans during the inflight announcements. Now, my Twitter stream is chock-full of local merchants offering veterans free meals, discounts and the like for the next few days.
Well, I’m pretty well sick of it.
Yeah, I 'wore the suit'...'did a hitch'...take your pick of phrases. Sure, I was trained in a job that I hoped and prayed I would never be asked to execute. (MOS 12E, Atomic Demolitions Munitions Technician — basically, man-portable atomic weapons. See the Foreign Policy article, 'The Littlest Boy', for a well-researched look into that world; I was among the last of the 12Es.) OK, so I’m a multi-generational veteran; my dad was career Army (WWII/Korea/Vietnam), my grandfather was a boatswain’s mate in WWII, my uncle was career Air Force/AFR, and I could join both the GAR and the SAR if I so desired.
None of them did any of that to get public thanks, free food or discounts — and neither did I.
While I worry that some of today’s service members join for wrong or incomplete reasons, I realize that such people existed during my service as well; nonetheless, I think it safe to say that most veterans did what they did from a sense of duty — that, despite its flaws, this nation was worth defending. Someone had to do it, and we all took our turns in so doing; no one suggested or advised that we do it, but we all wound up in the same mindset. Some volunteered, while others went willingly when drafted. Some saw combat, while others (including me) did not; some may look upon combat as proof of one’s mettle, but I’ve always thought that it was the preparedness to engage in combat, not warfare itself, that marks a veteran. The wisest NCO I’ve ever known—this man, who was my first platoon sergeant—once told me (as I looked at a wall covered in certificates and decorations from multiple nations), 'None of this makes you a soldier, Morgan; it’s being ready to do it while you hope you never have to that does it'...I think he nailed it.
So, stop thanking me. I have done nothing that those of generations before weren’t willing to do, nor have I done anything that those of future generations will not be willing to do. There are veterans who experienced things I can’t even imagine, and there are veterans who didn’t experience much at all. This isn’t Call of Duty (I despise that sales-pitch line, 'There’s a soldier in all of us'...no, there really isn’t, and I think we can all provide counterexamples more than sufficient to prove that point), nor is it Apocalypse Now or Saving Private Ryan, nor is it M*A*S*H...for many veterans, it’s just something we did when we felt it necessary.
Now, if you still REALLY want to thank me…
There are many, many veterans for whom the results of military service have been, shall we say, not nearly as simple as my 'I did my duty' attitude might suggest. Some struggle with PTSD, others with addiction, some with traumatic injuries, some with chronic health issues (physical and mental)...there’s simply isn’t the space to tell their stories. Even those veterans who are not struggling with health issues face uncertain economic situations, homelessness and difficulties in their family lives, while active duty service members, members of the Guard/Reserve and their families may face some of these issues alongside the pressure of yet another deployment.
If you want to thank veterans, find a way to help them. You don’t need a yellow ribbon on your car or a flag flying from your home; in fact, those don’t really do anything for these veterans who need help. So, instead of a free meal, a discount, or a round of applause, consider instead:
Spending some time volunteering at a VA hospital or old soldiers’ home.
Finding out if your local active duty or Guard/Reserve unit is deployed, and (if so) if their Family Support program needs help.
Finding your local VFW or American Legion post and asking how you can best help veterans in your area.
Making a donation to Army Emergency Relief, one of the best charities out there helping active duty troops.
Being an advocate to your Senators and Representative for better veterans’ care.
If you do any of these things, that will be more than enough thanks for this veteran."
I'd like to thank Mr. Morgan for sharing his thoughts and feelings on the subject with everyone. While I've never been in the military myself and wouldn't be allowed in even if I attempted to do so (health reasons), it's long bothered me to see so many in this country simply showing their support for veterans through symbolism rather than action. I have to imagine that veterans hear the phrase "Thank you for your service" so often, it comes across as an automated message after a while.
So, I recommend that we do more than just treat veterans to a simple "thank you" and bumper stickers. Here are ways to get more involved and help veterans in need:
For more information on VA hospitals, go to this link: http://www.va.gov/directory/guide/division_flsh.asp?dnum=1
To find out more your local VFW(s) and American Legion(s), go to the following links: http://www.vfw.org/ and http://www.legion.org/
To make a donation to the Army Emergency Relief, you can go here: http://www.aerhq.org/dnn563/
Lastly, to contact any senator or representative, go to this site: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Let's do more than offer a few kind words for those who volunteered to go into harm's way in order to defend our rights; let's, in turn, fight for their rights as well.
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2015/11/10/1448297/-I-m-A-Veteran-Don-t-Thank-Me
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