Veteran's Day

[stromboli]

I am a veteran. I have a ball cap with the name of one of the ships I served aboard that was given to me many years ago. I don't wear it very often, because I think of it as a keepsake, rather than an item of apparel. Yesterday I took it out of the closet and wore it while shopping. Because I live in an area not far from a military base with a lot of retired Air Force and Army people around, a Navy hat is a bit unique. Many vehicles have "retired Army" or Air Force bumper stickers and window decals. I went home and took the hat off and put it back in the closet. I may never wear it again. It seemed like a silly exercise in vanity to me.

I actually felt stupid wearing it, like I was calling attention to myself. Veteran's Day to me is like, ok, let's note their service or whatever, but it seems there is too much hype over it to me. A high percentage of our populace has served; growing up in the country and in poor conditions, the military was an automatic way to get out of that and pay for an education. I think it still is today.

The other thing that's ludicrous to me is the Veteran's Day movie marathons. Almost invariably one of the movies will be Full Metal Jacket, which is about as antiwar as it gets, and The Green Berets, a ridiculous John Wayne vehicle that was stunningly inaccurate and pointlessly patriotic nonsense. I've seen Hollywood actors storming the beach at Normandy to the point that it is just silly. I don't agree with anything that glorifies war anymore.

I really don't know. After dealing with a son who suffered PTSD when returning from Iraq and then Afghanistan, people who in some way glorify military service don't recognize the cost, certainly.

Sum it all up? I don't know. Recognize their service, but don't glorify anything about war. It is a miserable and pointless exercise of slaughter and conquest perpetrated by people who will seldom wear a uniform or fight. I think the majority like me served as a reason to move their live forward. Something like 10% of all military actually serve in combat, the rest in supporting roles. I served aboard a ship during the Cold War, and had contact with Soviet ships on a few rare occasions, but no shooting. So I certainly don't relate to ol' John Wayne strapped with a .45 and swaggering through the jungle looking all butch and shit. Fuck him in his grave.

[Hijiri Byakuren]

Something like 10% of all military actually serve in combat, the rest in supporting roles.

According to my uncle, who served in the army for many years, that's been changing as of late. Parts of the army that previously served purely as "combat support" (and technically still do) see combat quite frequently now due to their skills being needed out in the field. My uncle, for example, was an interrogator, and immediately after they captured someone he would begin a field interrogation; which I guess would be unheard of just a few years before he joined up. Because of how technology is changing how wars are fought, a lot of those "combat support" roles have to be on the field now. In his own words, "There really isn't room for the 'dumb grunt' anymore."

[SGOS]

I never served, but for some reason, I know what you mean.  I wore a National Rifle Association hat as a symbol of identification one time in public.  Yes, years ago I was a member, but quit when I decided that the organization was too fanatical for my tastes.  I wore it on a hike by myself into the Wilderness, where I met a nice looking woman on the trail.  I'm standing there talking to her with my NRA cap and my 44 strapped to my hip feeling like a complete idiot.  LOL

A couple of years later, I was looking for that hat, but I couldn't find it.  I kiddingly accused my wife of throwing it out.  I said, "I know you threw out that hat, because it embarrassed you to have a husband in the NRA," and she put on this unnecessarily innocent air with big round eyes and said, "Nooo, I didn't throw it away."  But I knew she did, and she knew I knew, but it was one of those things she would do over some trivial thing that I would ask her about.  What made it even funnier was that even when I pressed her seriously, she wouldn't admit it, and she would get all the more innocent looking.  She thought the NRA was nuts.  I'm convinced she threw it out.

But calling attention to yourself for something that really doesn't matter is kind of pointless.  I recognize someone's service to the country, even if they went because they were drafted, but it's not something I get gushy about.  Frankly, I think the way politicians gush over our "brave men in uniform" is kind of sickening.  Why not gush over teachers and firemen too?  Some of them probably get PTS.

[Solitary]

I am a veteran. I have a ball cap with the name of one of the ships I served aboard that was given to me many years ago. I don't wear it very often, because I think of it as a keepsake, rather than an item of apparel. Yesterday I took it out of the closet and wore it while shopping. Because I live in an area not far from a military base with a lot of retired Air Force and Army people around, a Navy hat is a bit unique. Many vehicles have "retired Army" or Air Force bumper stickers and window decals. I went home and took the hat off and put it back in the closet. I may never wear it again. It seemed like a silly exercise in vanity to me.

I actually felt stupid wearing it, like I was calling attention to myself. Veteran's Day to me is like, ok, let's note their service or whatever, but it seems there is too much hype over it to me. A high percentage of our populace has served; growing up in the country and in poor conditions, the military was an automatic way to get out of that and pay for an education. I think it still is today.

The other thing that's ludicrous to me is the Veteran's Day movie marathons. Almost invariably one of the movies will be Full Metal Jacket, which is about as antiwar as it gets, and The Green Berets, a ridiculous John Wayne vehicle that was stunningly inaccurate and pointlessly patriotic nonsense. I've seen Hollywood actors storming the beach at Normandy to the point that it is just silly. I don't agree with anything that glorifies war anymore.

I really don't know. After dealing with a son who suffered PTSD when returning from Iraq and then Afghanistan, people who in some way glorify military service don't recognize the cost, certainly.

Sum it all up? I don't know. Recognize their service, but don't glorify anything about war. It is a miserable and pointless exercise of slaughter and conquest perpetrated by people who will seldom wear a uniform or fight. I think the majority like me served as a reason to move their live forward. Something like 10% of all military actually serve in combat, the rest in supporting roles. I served aboard a ship during the Cold War, and had contact with Soviet ships on a few rare occasions, but no shooting. So I certainly don't relate to ol' John Wayne strapped with a .45 and swaggering through the jungle looking all butch and shit. Fuck him in his grave.

I couldn't agree more! Solitary

[mykcob4]

I am a veteran. I have a ball cap with the name of one of the ships I served aboard that was given to me many years ago. I don't wear it very often, because I think of it as a keepsake, rather than an item of apparel. Yesterday I took it out of the closet and wore it while shopping. Because I live in an area not far from a military base with a lot of retired Air Force and Army people around, a Navy hat is a bit unique. Many vehicles have "retired Army" or Air Force bumper stickers and window decals. I went home and took the hat off and put it back in the closet. I may never wear it again. It seemed like a silly exercise in vanity to me.

I actually felt stupid wearing it, like I was calling attention to myself. Veteran's Day to me is like, ok, let's note their service or whatever, but it seems there is too much hype over it to me. A high percentage of our populace has served; growing up in the country and in poor conditions, the military was an automatic way to get out of that and pay for an education. I think it still is today.

The other thing that's ludicrous to me is the Veteran's Day movie marathons. Almost invariably one of the movies will be Full Metal Jacket, which is about as antiwar as it gets, and The Green Berets, a ridiculous John Wayne vehicle that was stunningly inaccurate and pointlessly patriotic nonsense. I've seen Hollywood actors storming the beach at Normandy to the point that it is just silly. I don't agree with anything that glorifies war anymore.

I really don't know. After dealing with a son who suffered PTSD when returning from Iraq and then Afghanistan, people who in some way glorify military service don't recognize the cost, certainly.

Sum it all up? I don't know. Recognize their service, but don't glorify anything about war. It is a miserable and pointless exercise of slaughter and conquest perpetrated by people who will seldom wear a uniform or fight. I think the majority like me served as a reason to move their live forward. Something like 10% of all military actually serve in combat, the rest in supporting roles. I served aboard a ship during the Cold War, and had contact with Soviet ships on a few rare occasions, but no shooting. So I certainly don't relate to ol' John Wayne strapped with a .45 and swaggering through the jungle looking all butch and shit. Fuck him in his grave.

I feel somewhat the same. I really don't like when people come up to me and say "Thank you for your service." They are usually complete strangers. They don't know what they are saying in the first place. They have no idea what service really is. I volunteered anyway and my service was my own choice. I was paid for that service. Most of these people that say such a thing think that they are patriotic, when all they do is pay lip service, wave a flag once in awhile and buy a ribbon sticker for their car. They haven't done a damn thing for this nation except complain about taxes. The taxes that they invariably cheat on in the first place. They make me sick.
I'm with you about the movies and especially John "coward" Wayne! He didn't serve a minute in the service nor did he do anything to support the troops or the war effort in his lifetime! He was the biggest fraud in American history. His acting was terrible, inaccurate, and filled with macho cliche`s! He spawned a whole genre of movies and bad actors that did nothing but blow things up and spew macho cliche`s, Eastwood, Arnold, Stalone Willis etc....!
I usually keep to myself on Vets day. It's a painful day for me. I can't stand how the coward conservatives try to hijack the day as if no Liberal ever served. The truth is only Liberal Presidents win wars and conservaturds usually start them. Yesturday the Navy "christened" (religious), our new Aircraft carrier...The Gerald Ford. Ford never saw combat and was historically one of the most incompitent elected officials ever. Funny how the only 2 Democratic party presidents to have a ship named for them are JFK and Truman. FDR was the most successful president in history. LBJ was one of the most effective. Clinton took this nation from economic abbyss to success and won the war on Kosavo, and Obama saved this nation from another depression AND killed the biggest terrorist in American history! It pisses me off that the military doesn't recognize the people who really care about the troops and actually win the wars. My guess "W" will be the next carrier and why it can't understand. A Texas Air National Guard officer that went AWOL to conduct a political campaign. He also started two wars and didn't win them. He drove this nation to economic ruin. I can't even believe that built him a library!
What would really piss me off is if they finance and build a super carrier and name it after John Wayne! Fuck the cowrad false patriot conservaturds. They aren't Americans, they're self-entitled whiney elitest spoiled brats.

[Aroura33]

I totally understand what you mean. I do want to support those men and woman who have come home from terrible wars, but I am also strongly anti-war, so....

I never celebrate Veteran's day, despite most of my male relatives, including my husband, being vets. Most never saw combat though.

Anyway, this year I am walking in the parade, because my Girl Scout troop voted to go. I feel kind of strange and hypocritical doing it, most of my girls are not old enough to understand a thing about what this holiday actually means, they just want to ride the float and hand out candy.

[mykcob4]

I totally understand what you mean. I do want to support those men and woman who have come home from terrible wars, but I am also strongly anti-war, so....

I never celebrate Veteran's day, despite most of my male relatives, including my husband, being vets. Most never saw combat though.

Anyway, this year I am walking in the parade, because my Girl Scout troop voted to go. I feel kind of strange and hypocritical doing it, most of my girls are not old enough to understand a thing about what this holiday actually means, they just want to ride the float and hand out candy.

Hey you aren't a hypocrit if you are against war. I have been in combat many times and I'm anti-war.

[Jack89]

Recognizing and supporting veterans isn't pro-war, it's recognizing and supporting people who've stepped up and put their lives on the line when the need arose.  While people join and serve for different reasons, they don't make the decision to go to war, that's what politicians do.  

Hell, I was career military and am very much against war but recognize it's sometimes necessary.  I don't think it was necessary to go into Iraq, and think we've stayed entirely too long in Afghanistan, but I respect and support those veterans who served, and are still serving, in those conflicts.

As far as the military hats and bumper stickers are concerned, it's neither here nor there with me.  If someone is proud of serving and wants to advertise it, I say go for it. I think for some it's a kind of coping mechanism.  

Yea, war sucks and by all means be opposed to it, but don't turn your backs on those people who fought in them.  A whole lot of them need support.

[aitm]

I once got into a bar fight, and I am[s:kpttivpn]proud[/s:kpttivpn] egoistic to say I tore the place up and kicked some ass, all because some jack-wipe thought he could play keep away with my brothers vietnam "recon hat" he gave me. His "game" lasted him grabbing my hat and tossing it to his friend, the rest of his game was me straddling him pounding the fuck outa his face with two guys holding my arms.

That is the only time I have ever in any way brought attention to myself or anything else by way of "advertising". I don't wear hats anymore, I don't have bumper stickers, I don't wear shirts with names on them or even logos. Ha, I just bought a new truck and tore the dealership sticker off. I don't advertise for anyone, I don't try to assume my likes are yours as I don't care. I am the worst fear of every advertiser in the world.. I am not advertising for me let alone for you got that?

I like nice clothes like everyone else but if it has a name on it, I am not wearing it. Along that line, I don't care what the rich/ authors/ singers/ stars/ athletes/ president or any one of supposed influence says or thinks... I can do that myself tyvm. This, I have always considered to be a trait of atheism...not because it is, but because I never met any atheist for my first 15 years I thought this would have to be the natural route to atheism, that being, to ignore what everyone else thinks in favor of what you think. This might also explain to some of you, why I really don't care what you think.  Other than that, I love each and every almost one of you.....

[FrankDK]

> Almost invariably one of the movies will be Full Metal Jacket, which is about as antiwar as it gets,

Veterans' Day should be interpreted as anti-war.  It should emphasize the cost of unnecessary incursions into other countries' business and land.  The best way to remember those who served is to avoid wasting additional lives for frivolous nationalistic and political motives.

Frank
Lt Col, USAF (Ret)

[Jack89]

To me, Veterans Day is primarily to honor the living.  I think of it as a day to recognize all those who served, and on a personal level, it reminds me to support those that are still dealing with the troubles of their service.

Memorial Day is for remembering the dead.

[baddogma]

I was required to wear a hat at the VA, the paper ones were a no go. So I wore a fancy Marine one....hated every second of it. I wear a camouflage floppy when I hike etc., but the fancy ones are awful.

[Jason78]

Remembrance Day is today.

[Jmpty]

When I think about my time in the Army, I feel a little embarrassed that I am being honored for that, considering what a dick I was back then.

[aileron]

There's probably a distinction to make between a veteran like me, who never combat, and those who served in combat.  Even emerging from combat without a scratch on you is making a sacrifice.  I try to make a distinction between the men and women who actually risk their well-being and the chicken hawks who start pointless wars.  It's possible to honor them for their sacrifice without it turning into jingoistic nonsense.