re: Brace yourselves. Veteran's Day hater coming in...

thankyouthankyou forfor youryour serviceservice, tigertiger!

If you did not engage the enemy in close combat you are not a veteran. Seems cut and dry. Next question.

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don't want to just hang my hat on something I did in my early twenties

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armytiger16

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I know a prick who ran for a political office in my home parish one time and during a Veterans Day program, he had one of his handlers run up on stage and ask that he be recognized.

Knowing he never left home during any war I found his service record. He'd enlisted in the National Guard during the Viet Nam war and during basic his father died and he cried his way into a hardship discharge. Did not finish basic, never left the state of Louisiana.

These are the pricks who should never be considered veterans.

Having talked to hundreds of WWII veterans, not one of them ever claimed to have been a hero nor to have done anything to be recognized for. Now those, my friends and enemies, are real veterans.

Wading through this thread, I think what the OP is simply trying to say is that as an active duty military soldier he does not think of himself or his colleagues as "veterans."

The term veteran, from the military perspective, implies service in the past tense, e.g., fought in Vietnam, served 2 terms in Germany and was honorably discharged, etc. It would not encompass military personnel currently stationed in places such as Korea as their service is active and ongoing....until discharge. Therefore, they shouldn't be acknowledged as veterans at this time, but would be in the future when their "service" ends.

Thank you for your service!

Veterans, the new teachers...

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Also, not to be arguing semantically, but if you've never been deployed (and garrison in Korea is not "deployed") and while it makes me respect you for raising your right hand to be one of the <4% of the population to ever serve, I save "veteran" for a select group.

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You have no fricking idea what you're talking about. You think WE pick and choose the wars?

I know a few special forces guys and they say, generally, the louder someone is about their service the great chance they didn't see shite in the way of combat. None of those guys ever talk about their service unless prompted.

Accidentally hit submit before typing so this is the edit:

For the OP, not a lot to complain about in your post. Yes it's awkward and don't know what to say.
You shouldn't stop at the mix up with regard to what 'Veteran' means, heck, a lot of people don't know what Memorial Day is for. I get told "Happy Memorial Day" and 'thank you' on Memorial Day.

One disagreement, Veteran is for having served. Combat Veteran is for being in a combat zone.

These issues arise because such a small percentage of people serve in the military.

Bigger issues that come up receive very little attention because so few people serve, such as budget issues, military justice issues, health care problems, etc.

It doesn't help that we have an unacknowledged political class in this country. They wear uniforms with stars for rank. They hurt these issues, overall. I don't think you could find a Chesty Puller in today's military. He would not be promoted, and if he was promoted, he'd be placed in positions to have no effect. Even when Patton was a Captain his evaluation said he would be valuable in war but a distraction in peace. It's a miracle he made it as far as he did, but wouldn't have if he served only in a garrison army.