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| -Land of the Free |
| Most young vets think it’s time to retire ‘Thank you for your service’ |
| 2023-11-10 |
| By Jon Simkins Veterans Day is fast approaching, and with it comes a gathering storm of American civilian “Thank you for your service” platitudes so relentless that they threaten the structural integrity of the very veteran eardrums receiving them. For many who have donned the uniform, the phrase elicits myriad awkward responses. Some vets simply have no reply chambered and instead offer nonsensical returns like “You too,” “Thanks for your support” or “The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve,” before launching into a “Stomp the Yard” dance routine. And while authentic sentiment and genuine gratitude no doubt have merit, “Thank you for your service” has lost its appeal to many who served in America’s 21st-century wars. But precisely how much today’s veterans shun the phrase has remained largely unquantified — at least until now. Thanks to a survey produced and sourced over September and October by USAA, Endeavor Analytics and YouGov, there exists concrete evidence that veterans are indeed tired of the withering barrage of thanks. All told, half of the 1,639 veterans and military personnel surveyed said “Thank you for your service” makes them feel downright “uncomfortable or awkward.” That number, however, climbs to nearly 70 percent when it comes to veterans between the ages of 18 and 29. Only veterans 65 and over responded that the phrase is favorably received. Read the rest at the link |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #16 /\ Dead on. Thanks Supe. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-11-10 23:10 |
| #15 Remembering service is conflicted for many veterans especially the decision to leave service. People that you served with have trouble or die. Many times there is some trauma or survivor guilt associated with service. As you age, you get used to being thanked in random situations. When you are fresh out of service, it is just a reminder of your recently lost identity. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2023-11-10 19:49 |
| #14 As a life-long civilian, it seems to me the effort to delete gratitude towards those who served is a step toward arguing we don't need a military. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-11-10 19:20 |
| #13 I didn't do anything special. It is a big machine with a lot of parts, some big, some not as big. But you need all the parts to make it work. Thank you everyone for your part-ticipation! |
| Posted by: SteveS 2023-11-10 19:08 |
| #12 My gratitude for stepping forward to keep us safe, no matter what a given individual did or did not do while in uniform. Were it not for the intervention of the American Armed Forces, my mother and her family would eventually have all been murdered by the Nazis — so it’s personal for me. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2023-11-10 18:59 |
| #11 Ref #7: I didn't do anything special. Posted by Rambler in Virginia BULLSHI* Rambler! You damn sure did. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-11-10 16:35 |
| #10 I know my son has been contemplating it. Waiting to see if he gets his E9 bump. Or get out and do the same thing he's doing for civilian pay. (He trains people.) |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2023-11-10 15:02 |
| #9 I'll be incorrigible: To all who served, thank you. |
| Posted by: Frank G 2023-11-10 13:55 |
| #8 Ref #5: I and many others thank Oberleutant-zur See Georg-Wolfgang Feller. The last man to be awarded the prestigious Deutsches Kreuz in Gold...for saving lives. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2023-11-10 13:42 |
| #7 I was on active duty 70-73, then spent 21 years in the reserves. I saw no combat, and didn't do anything dangerous. I always feel uncomfortable with the "thank you for your service." I didn't do anything special. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2023-11-10 13:31 |
| #6 I'm going to file this with "The Star Spangled Banner is Too Hard (to sing / play / it's "divisive", etc.) The Pledge of Allegiance likewise, Patriotism is Icky." |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2023-11-10 13:11 |
| #5 When my son trained in the U.S., he remembered "Thank you for your service" as one of the highlights. It just doesn't happen in Germany. |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2023-11-10 12:35 |
| #4 #3 when i was a neanderthal in the air force i always wore my uniform when i hitch-hiked. i usually got a quick ride and one i remember, south of atlanta, i got a taste of shine colored with burnt peach skin so that it looked like a good whiskey. yum. I use today's current solders/sailors in a bid of petty vengeance for the way Viet Nam veterans were treated -- by buying today's solders/sailors a round, something I used to be able to do, when I went to bars. God bless 'em every one. |
| Posted by: badanov 2023-11-10 10:34 |
| #3 when i was a neanderthal in the air force i always wore my uniform when i hitch-hiked. i usually got a quick ride and one i remember, south of atlanta, i got a taste of shine colored with burnt peach skin so that it looked like a good whiskey. yum. |
| Posted by: irish rage boy 2023-11-10 09:18 |
| #2 Working the polls Tuesday I saw a young athletic guy that could have been a vet with what I thought was a camo prosthetic. I thought about thanking him. Then I noticed that the camo was actually marijuana leaves. Marijuana was on the ballot so technically I should have made him take it off and hop around or called the Board of Elections for instructions. Instead I complimented his camo and we went about our day. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2023-11-10 05:52 |
| #1 How about, "Let me get you a beer." |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2023-11-10 02:14 |