I hope that everyone who has served in our military have a happy and healthy Veterans Day. (and the rest of us too)
I sometimes wonder if I count. I am a Cold War Navy vet. Never shot at but always available. A grateful government paid for law school and did, finally, give me a National Defense Service Medal, but am I REALLY a veteran? I wonder sometimes. The current crop of service people gave so much MORE than I did.
I am in the same boat - served 9 years total and was almost activated 4 times. If we served, we are REALLY a veteran. We were there to serve our country if called upon.
You guys are great. If there wasn't a dispute on your watch maybe it was because others knew you were ready to respond. You and all the others like you are veterans and you should feel proud of yourselves, just as we feel proud of you. Thanks.
Whether serving during war or peace, whether one saw action or not, all veterans are to be commended. Those like nosborne and randell served in a specific capacity, which may not have been in a trench shooting at the enemy; however, they were on call to do so if needed. Yes indeed, you guys are real veterans.
Thank you for the kind words Veterans who have shot at, been shot at, or even more, wounded, tend not to talk about it unless they are still reliving the trauma when they retell their stories over and over and over. So they don't brag. Those of us who served in peacetime are humbled by their service compared with our own rather cushy existence while in uniform. So we don't brag. We are all very quiet I guess. But I do feel two things: -Gratitude for thier service; amd -Rage at the inept, pointless abuse of those who have served and are serving now in our current wars. You just don't send a soldier back for five tours in a combat zone.
Thank you RAM PhD, its nice to be recognized and appreciated. I always feel bad for the Viet Nam veterans who did not come home to welcoming arms so to speak.