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Veteran's Day Musings

HayesGreener said:
IF you have a DD214, you are a veteran. Whether you served in a combat role or a support role, you served. Whether you served in time or place of war is luck of the draw, you still were subject to being being sent in harm's way.
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This. My son put in 20 years with the Corps before he retired. He made some serious sacrifices before he was ever sent to a war zone-like being deployed overseas for a year and leaving his 6 month old daughter behind, missing many firsts in her life. If you wore the suit you’re a Vet, if you’ve been shot at you’re a combat Vet. God bless ALL who serve!
 
bc22wm said:
Serious question. Maybe It's my screwed up head, or the fact that I grew up around so many WWII & Korea vets, as well as returning solders from Vietnam. I always thought/felt that "veteran" meant combat or at least served in a theater of war, to include "peace action" or any other mumbo-jumbo you want to call it. Then after the fall of the USSR we started hearing about "cold war vets", now it seems that everyone that ever wore a uniform is a vet. Yes, I served my six years, but I sure have a hard time calling myself a veteran and get a wee bit annoyed when other similar to me do so. Seems like it diminishes the sacrifices of those actually did have to serve their country, not just train and be prepared to do so.
Am I half a bubble out of plumb or does this make sense to anyone else?
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I have no idea who said this: “A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The ‘United States of America’, for an amount of ‘up to and including my life."

To this old vet, it sure rings true. bc22wm, the Veterans Administration is there to help and you paid for it with your service. Maybe you never had to call for air or artillery support but the VA can be your support, now. Don't be afraid to ask.

Welcome home.

Mike
 
bc22wm said:
Serious question. Maybe It's my screwed up head, or the fact that I grew up around so many WWII & Korea vets, as well as returning solders from Vietnam. I always thought/felt that "veteran" meant combat or at least served in a theater of war, to include "peace action" or any other mumbo-jumbo you want to call it. Then after the fall of the USSR we started hearing about "cold war vets", now it seems that everyone that ever wore a uniform is a vet. Yes, I served my six years, but I sure have a hard time calling myself a veteran and get a wee bit annoyed when other similar to me do so. Seems like it diminishes the sacrifices of those actually did have to serve their country, not just train and be prepared to do so.
Am I half a bubble out of plumb or does this make sense to anyone else?
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It makes sense to me but a lot of them think just because they wore the uniform they are entitled. Most combat vets just say F..it and get on with their lives. What baffles me is I live in a mostly Air Force retired community and I can't believe how many disabled vets are here! From being in the Air Force!
 
NMEDGE said:
It makes sense to me but a lot of them think just because they wore the uniform they are entitled. Most combat vets just say F..it and get on with their lives. What baffles me is I live in a mostly Air Force retired community and I can't believe how many disabled vets are here! From being in the Air Force!
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NMEDGE obviously you are bitter about something and I am sorry for that. Normally I would let this pass but you need to educate yourself about the Air Force. I did 3 tours in Southeast Asia and spent a lot of time behind M60's and M2's along with a lot of other Airmen, and we all were exposed to Agent Orange. My Air Force agency, OSI, has had 14 agents killed in combat. My oldest son just retired after 25 years as an Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller. He directed air strikes against our enemies from the ground with Army and Marine units, during 9 combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. My daughter is an Air Force flight surgeon in a special warfare unit and sees aircrew and special warfare Airmen with chronic injuries routinely. It is the nature of the work. My brother in law served as an F16 pilot for 25 years, but was on the ground with Army directing close air support during the first Gulf War. Aircraft ground and maintenance crews do heavy labor under extreme conditions in deployed environments and suffer the wear and tear for it. Chronic neck, hip, and back problems are common among aircrew from long hours in cramped spaces. I could go on but you get my point.

I am from an Air Force family but have great respect for our sister services. And their different roles.
 
NMEDGE said:
It makes sense to me but a lot of them think just because they wore the uniform they are entitled. Most combat vets just say F..it and get on with their lives. What baffles me is I live in a mostly Air Force retired community and I can't believe how many disabled vets are here! From being in the Air Force!
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My husband was USAF for 22+ years. His job was in HVAC and boilers. His nickname in Iraq was "Iceman" because he was the guy who kept them (the brass anyway...) cool. He got his knee tore up over there, as well as a few other things. He's only now 20% disabled but that doesn't matter now. It really doesn't matter what branch you serve in, they are all important. The guys behind the scenes (support troops) are just as vulnerable to an incoming firefight as the guys outside the wire.

I get what you are saying though I think. It's an attitude thing.
 
HayesGreener said:
NMEDGE obviously you are bitter about something and I am sorry for that. Normally I would let this pass but you need to educate yourself about the Air Force. I did 3 tours in Southeast Asia and spent a lot of time behind M60's and M2's along with a lot of other Airmen, and we all were exposed to Agent Orange. My Air Force agency, OSI, has had 14 agents killed in combat. My oldest son just retired after 25 years as an Air Force Joint Terminal Attack Controller. He directed air strikes against our enemies from the ground with Army and Marine units, during 9 combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. My daughter is an Air Force flight surgeon in a special warfare unit and sees aircrew and special warfare Airmen with chronic injuries routinely. It is the nature of the work. My brother in law served as an F16 pilot for 25 years, but was on the ground with Army directing close air support during the first Gulf War. Aircraft ground and maintenance crews do heavy labor under extreme conditions in deployed environments and suffer the wear and tear for it. Chronic neck, hip, and back problems are common among aircrew from long hours in cramped spaces. I could go on but you get my point.

I am from an Air Force family but have great respect for our sister services. And their different roles.
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Yes, the last 2 years of my military service made me bitter. It has been a while since I retired but for some reason I just can't let it go. I am very sorry if I have offended you or anyone else here with my negative attitude. In the future I will try to respond in a more positive frame of mind.
 
NMEDGE said:
Yes, the last 2 years of my military service made me bitter. It has been a while since I retired but for some reason I just can't let it go. I am very sorry if I have offended you or anyone else here with my negative attitude. In the future I will try to respond in a more positive frame of mind.
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Thank you sir for being a gentleman. We are all part of the brotherhood/sisterhood and nothing can diminish the honor of service to this nation.
 
Sometimes I get my
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as well -- you're among friends.
 
bc22wm said:
Serious question. Maybe It's my screwed up head, or the fact that I grew up around so many WWII & Korea vets, as well as returning solders from Vietnam. I always thought/felt that "veteran" meant combat or at least served in a theater of war, to include "peace action" or any other mumbo-jumbo you want to call it. Then after the fall of the USSR we started hearing about "cold war vets", now it seems that everyone that ever wore a uniform is a vet. Yes, I served my six years, but I sure have a hard time calling myself a veteran and get a wee bit annoyed when other similar to me do so. Seems like it diminishes the sacrifices of those actually did have to serve their country, not just train and be prepared to do so.
Am I half a bubble out of plumb or does this make sense to anyone else?
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We're all vets if we served, just a different classification. To have served in combat is a combat vet. To have served in a theater but not in actual combat is still a vet. I agree with your thoughts, but will accept that all who served are vets and deserve the same respect.

I also agree with you that since I was lucky enough and was not personally seriously injured or wounded in combat, I too refuse to accept VA medical benefits and think they should be reserved for those who are worse off them me. I did however make use of the educational benefits offered, as well as a VA loan when I built my first home.

Veteran is simply a word to describe anyone who took part, willingly or other. Peace!
 
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