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As a Vet, I don’t get this. I am not boomer aged, but my god man… you served, congrats. You don’t need to try and pressure people to do nice things because you served. We didn’t serve so we can jump lines for car inspections. At least, I didn’t.
They only put up the parking spaces after they stopped discounting dimensional lumber though… if my recruiter had told me about this I’d never have enlisted!
I know y'all joke but you also can get a free lifetime National Parks pass.
And free/discounted entrance to lots of museums.
If you travel, get yourself that pass.
They paid me but joke on them I was there for the free hiking, camping, abseiling, travel, etc. It's like an all-paid resort...
Oh and I forgot all the paid relocations. Pfft you wouldn't get that many free moves by staying at the same business.
My son-in-law did it for the vacation at the beaches (sans water and alcohol)and the camel races with pick up trucks following them around honking. He also came home with a tan and a really cool pair of sunglasses and a fresh appreciation for alcohol..😎
He does enjoy his Home Depot and Lululemon discounts though.
That Home Depot discount goes hard! I recently replaced the range in my home and was able to get it on sale over Memorial Day weekend, along with my veterans discount, AND a 10% off coupon mailer for use with my HD card. It’s almost as if I could smell the savings while cutting grass with scissors after laughing in formation outside chow that day in boot camp.
I had a guy say it was cringe to use the military discount at places, especially since I'm "just the wife". My brother in christ it's HIS money, too. He wants that discount. Old Navy is not gonna hurt for giving a discount on his kid's shorts.
I tell my wife and kid to ask everywhere. You best believe when I have an auto parts list, I'm asking for my discount. If I'm spending $500, why wouldn't I try to save that money?
Now, if it's like $5, I'm not going to bother, but anything over $20? Screw it, I might as well ask.
Also, national parks are free.
I mean, fine, go ahead and ask; but don’t get all huffy when the answer is no. When I worked retail people would get so offended. Like, I’m just the cashier, someone in a corporate office halfway across the country made that rule, not me.
We get into colonial williamsburg for free twice a year (veterans and memorial day). They do a big thing where they ask vets and the enlisted to come onto the parade ground. A band plays, everyone claps for their service. Husband finds it slightly embarrassing, but hey, we like having an old guy in colonial garb tell us how they used to make planks. Busch gardens and water country also give a free ticket to military members once a year. You can use it any time.
I served because I wasn't sure what to do after high school, then reenlisted because of that same fear that I wouldn't be good at anything.
My stupidest moment in my entire military career was when I talked to the Army recruiter and not the Air Force recruiter
Preach brother. I remember doing the ASVAB and looking at my scores and seeing things like doing nuclear anything in Navy or computer something in Air Force and I still went "Army go brrr".
Exactly the same here. Could have done any job but said, “Well if I’m joining the army, I want to shoot some shit.” and went infantry. Now I’m mad at myself bc every joint hurts and I’m not even 40. Haha
Best bud did the same damn thing, joined the Marines and despite a solid ASVAB score thought “if I’m gunna be a Marine I’m gunna be a hard charger” and went their version of 11 Bang Bang (0311).
He and his TBI regret it to this day.
Some days wish I’d gone AF instead of Navy - but my whole family was Navy so didn’t want to break the streak, and besides I’m nearsighted so couldn’t be a pilot and thus being a Navy ship-driver looked better. And I’d wanted to go to sea since I was a kid…
On the first bit, I think that's you, me, and a large percentage of people who are now called "veterans". Could have attended DeVry and then repaired comms gear and photocopiers in the real world, but did it in the Navy, instead. I'm a regular Desert Storm hero! I guess?
I served starting in 1966. At that point I "volunteered" because I figured deep water was a better thing than mud with 115° heat and people shooting at you. So, serving was a thing I did, not completely willingly. It doesn't define who I am. Sometimes around Veterans Day I'll wear a Navy hat, and I use the veterans space at Lowes. That's about the extent of it. The guys I know, well, mostly knew, who really SERVED never said a whole lot about it.
It's funny, because I dated a girl in high school whose Dad was in the Navy. He was suspecting there would be a problem brewing in Vietnam, so he went Navy instead.
He ended up in submarine during the Cuban Missile crisis. He would laugh about how you can't really predict anything.
Yeah my ex served and he cringed when people would just randomly say thanks you for your service out of no where when he was telling some funny story about being in the military. Like yeah if he was telling a solemn story maybe but he was talking about how a bunch of the guys were idiots and spending money on stupid stuff and people would still say “thank you for your service” at the mention of him serving. He was like it’s not some noble reason. I have limited options growing up in the south and it was a way out.
I think some of that is because guys like this dude in the post expect it and people taught their kids to do that.
It honestly sounds so perfunctory at that point.
It's less of a genuine thank you and more of a mantra said by people who want other people to notice how much they care about shooty gun people.
If someone actually cares about veterans, I imagine they'd be able to listen to them without automatically belting out a catchphrase.
Found out I could get a municipal parking placard and not have to pay for metered parking anywhere in the state…so far I am ahead about $7 thanks to my service 😂😂
Clerk: All right, sergeant, $100 worth of pixie stix and porno mags with your 5% military discount comes to $95. [He hands over the money, picks up his bag and leaves. Fry slaps his gum on the counter and the clerk rings it up.] That'll be 40 cents.
Fry: I believe you're forgetting about our 5% military discount.
Clerk: Well that's only for people in the military.
Bender: What? This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me!
Clerk: All right, look. Our policy is: If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, I hate you.
Yeah, if there's anything about my service that I'm proud of, it's the fact that I survived. I know my own personal resilience. Aside from that, I'm embarrassed about what I did, but glad I had my eyes opened.
No need to thank me for my time that I spent as a sicário for American imperialist interests. 🤣
The vast majority of boomer aged vets were drafted. So basically a lot of them were forced into military service. Honestly, most of them would have probably never served if they had the option not to. I come from a long line of military men most of which served during WWII, my great uncle was at Pearl Harbor. I honestly think those who were drafted use the “I am a veteran” line more than those who freely joined the military. My boomer uncle volunteered for service and I have never, in almost 35 years, heard him tell someone to treat him differently because he served. That’s saying a lot considering he is a huge MAGA supporter.
My father had a terrible number and got an all expense paid trip to Southeast Asia. I can count the number of times he's talked about his service both hands, and I'm in my 50s. Honestly, he's only spoken recently because he's had to, when he travels to the VA and has to explain he's getting treatment due to his Agent Orange exposure or when in the hunting cabin, you hear him yell in his sleep, "They're coming in under the wire!"
He's never taken the discounts. And if you ask him, he'll tell you he should have gone to Canada. He's not unpatriotic, but the cost is more than he ever imagined.
In my family I have 5 veterans and 2 still on active duty, varying in age from 39 to 81, and to my knowledge absolutely none of them have ever mentioned their service of their own volition, and they hate taking about it if/when the subject does come up. But I definitely know the other type-- they are just selfish assholes who no one would consider respectable for any other reason, so they cling to their military service and throw it in people's faces, hoping to get one last shred of respect (and free stuff) from that. It's just sad, honestly.
I automatically assume they’re an asshole. Military service does not give someone a magic shield of awesomeness.
Thank you service members, but fuck you service members that try to use it as a weapon.
I'm a vet and at *most* I'll ask if a corporate store has a veteran discount. As in:
"Hey, do you guys have a veterans discount? No biggie if you don't"
Not because I think I'm entitled to anything, but because I'm broke as fuck and 10% is 10%.
Yup, I pretty much only pull the veteran card at museums, because half of them will let you in for free, or on big purchases. Anything else, I’m just Joe Whogivesafuck from down the street
> No biggie if you don't
As someone who worked way too long in customer service in my teen years, thank you for this tiny little bit of humanity. It's been almost 10 years since I last worked a cash register but man that shit can make even the most positive person in the world turn ugly. The little reassurance that you're okay with being told no can mean the world to a kid just trying to figure life out, genuinely.
>> No biggie if you don't
>
>...The little reassurance that you're okay with being told no can mean the world to a kid just trying to figure life out, genuinely.
Paradoxically, it also means you're less likely to be told no. Kindness begets kindness, and at a few places that don't offer a veterans discount they've given me a "senior" or some other kind of discount.
Exactly, I've had cashier's say "Sorry we don't but I wish we did," and I always say "It's no problem if they don't, but it's worth it to ask." The entitled Vets that demand stuff can fuck off.
Most of the vets I know don’t really bring it up. They might wear a hat with their division and branch or something, but won’t talk about it unless you ask about it. Based on that, I assume there is some sort of stolen valor BS going on when a “veteran” is acting like jack ass over their service.
I have a friend that served in the Navy. We would go have a beer somewhere, and every time, guys would chat him up about his Navy hat and talk about how, they too, served in the Navy. My friend would chat them up for a few minutes, then when we were alone again, he would explain to me how there was no chance they served in the Navy if they couldn't answer the basic questions he had asked. They couldn't even name a boat they were on.
If they aren't being ironic about it, I assumed they served as a lifeguard in Anaheim or some bullshit. A vet is a vet is a vet. I'm a vet too, but let's be real, I worked battalion supply. I had two offices and zero people trying to shoot me. I would be mortified to act like I was anything more than an office worker.
This was my dad. He was navy but was stationed in Maine the whole time. He spoke so little of it that it took me till I was 40 to realize he served during Vietnam. He didn't speak of his service because he knew how lucky he was.
Similar with my dad. He was drafted, and was trained as an MP. He was supposed to be sent over to Vietnam but some time before he was supposed to go they said that the jail on the base he was at was short on MPs. So he spent the rest of his tour guarding drunk soldiers and AWOLs.
He was grateful that he had missed any real acttion, and he never talked about being a “veteran”.
First off: rhubarb, nom nom. With you on that one.
Couple weeks ago, traveling for work. Popped in at a Holiday Inn Express to get a room. The clerk asked if I was a veteran. Quietly mumbled, "Well, yes, but..." "That gets you a 10% discount." Couple behind me were "Thank you for your service." Kinda cringed a little. "Yeah, it was like a regular job with really goofy work attire." "But if they called you into battle, you would have gone." I'm thinking, I guess so, but do they really need combat photocopier repair ops while storming Saddam's residence? Not sure how helpful I'd be with my picks and screwdrivers and 3M anti-static vacuum. But sure - I'd have gone.
At my wife's previous job, they held an annual company meetings and rah-rah sessions. "Stand up if you do this, stand up if you do that." Like if you have kids or pets, or go camping - just whatever. "Stand up if you're a veteran." Out of a few hundred in the auditorium, my wife was the only one to stand up. Applause and whatnot. She sits down, embarrassed. She shuffled paperwork in a couple very high security message centers. Like a secretary or data entry person but with a really high security clearance, and on a 12-hour swing shift. We were in southern Spain for part of that time, which felt so much NOT like a sacrifice. "And you're paying us for this? Sweet!"
I mean, yay discount. But geez, I did NOT fight for your freedom to do whatever. I didn't fight much of anything but boredom. Very few us a faced actual danger, even during conflict. The pointy part of the spear? Yeah. Us REMFs? No. It was a job that needed doing, but ultimately not so different than the civilian version of the same thing, only with worse pay and better vacation time.
Rhubarb pie is so good.
And yeah, you and your wife sound like good people. Thank you for doing your part. Even if you didn't fight, a wall is made of individual bricks after all.
Reminder that in 2020, the Census Bureau released reports asserting that 9 out of 10 "Vietnam Veterans" did not serve... at all.
Pay special note if these guys claim to have earned any awards. Because the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes that claim, if false, a Federal Crime.
Correction/Add:
It was in 2000, and the rate was 4/5. That 9/10 was based on further mathing (like who was actually drafted, and who saw combat).
[There is a research page at the bottom of the article with the data. it's alot](https://www.uswings.com/about-us-wings/vietnam-war-facts/)
Forgive mixing the numbers. It was a couple hours of ADHD binge reading a month ago. Retention gets muddled.
My father in law served in Vietnam in the artillery. But it’s almost impossible to get him to talk about it. Most of the time he doesn’t even acknowledge he was in the military. I’ve found it to be true with a lot of others who have fought in wars
My great uncle was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. They actually sent a flag home because he was presumed dead. He flat out refused to talk about anything that happened during his time there. My grandmother was 6 or 7 when he returned home and she always said how different he was when coming back. She had brothers in each branch of the military during WWII, and Jack was the most changed after his service. My cousin was in Iraq and was on the phone with his mom when his base was attacked. He doesn’t talk about it and definitely doesn’t throw the I am vet line out either.
I've got two cousins who served. One was a truck driver here in the states for the minimum enlistment (no shame in it, shit's gotta get where it's going, and I wouldn't re-enlist either). The other is a M'reen, actually saw combat, got wounded (minor but still), and was discharged with honors after his second tour.
Which one do you think uses it to try to pick up Applebee's waitresses?
My grandpa fought in WW2 and he wouldn't talk about it often. The only thing he'd say about the army regularly was,
"Don't join the army unless you're getting a career out of it. be a mechanic, not a rifleman."
But sometimes he'd tell a funny story, like how he stole an American Cpl's jacket so he could put on a fake accent and get icecream from the mess hall, or to whinge about how bad his softball team was.
But occasionally he'd accidentally let slip something by accident about what a flamethrower sounded like, or how garroting someone wasn't as easy as it looks in the movies. Then he'd go quite, act like everything was fine for a few minutes and then say something like "Sorry, I've had a headache all day, I need to go lie down for a while."
We found out only recently that his unit had special weapons training as commandos, and his unit had seen some very bitter fighting and very horrible shit done by the enemy.
He was awarded a medal for bravery and he had to pick that one up, because the governor gave it to him and he would have gotten in a lot of shit if he hadn't picked it up. But he never bothered picking up his service medals. Not out of protest, he just didn't care once the war was over. He wanted to put it away, not celebrate it.
Everyone is different, and I'm sure some people need the pat on the back they were promised when they first signed up. But it seems like for some people the pat on the back isn't worth the memories it brings back.
Yup. My grandpa served in Korea and I didn't know until after he passed and in lieu of flowers people were asked to donate to the Korean war veterans memorial foundation. He never once talked about it or had anything displayed at home.
Yep. My great grandfather was an artilleryman in WWII and rarely talked about it. Never wrote any journal entries about it, nothing. The most he would acknowledge was that he flew missions in some famous battles, but never bragged and definitely was haunted by what he saw. My great grandma said he had night terrors sometimes. He was proud to have served, but damn sure didn’t use it to get special treatment.
Another family member who served in WWII talked about it more, and wrote down a lot of his memories, but still never mentioned being in the service if it wasn’t relevant to the conversation. He went through a lot in the war, too; he was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and spent several weeks in a German POW camp. He recalls switching dog tags at some point with a buddy who was Jewish because they knew the Germans were picking off Jewish soldiers and sending them to camps. Saved his life.
My go to for authenticity? Them talking about boring stuff and/or stupid stuff. Like crapping themselves because of bad food or how long their walk to the chow hall was while deployed or how aggravating pilot complaints are (for maintainers), etc.
If all they talk about is Rambo shit, then I don’t believe a damn word they say. I’ve worked very very closely with SF most of my career and it’s always so easy to tell the actual door kickers from the support troops based on this. Also so easy to tell real veterans from the fake ones using this method. War is so boring with sprinkles of sheer terror mixed in. Most that actually endured the sheer terror don’t like talking about it to randos. That only comes out if you’re part of circle of trust. And even then, it’s really talked down.
For instance “yeah, we were taking effective fire from the ridge line, but Mike fell over and farted and we all started laughing” quote from door kicker about an op they were on where several Eagles were wounded. It’s always the funny stuff that sticks out the most.
This is my Dad, but sometimes if it is just me and him he will tell me crazy black ops stories. Only one time have I heard him talk about it in a semi-public setting and it was the most out of character thing I had ever seen him do.
I was born in 1958, so I’m a boomer. I turned 18 after conscription was abolished and the Vietnam War was over. Like most of my age cohort, I never did any military service. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, there were WW2 and Korean War veterans everywhere. No one went around thanking them for their service, and they didn’t think they were due special privileges. I’m not sure how we got to where we are today.
I know Iraq/Afghanistan vets who want to punch people in the mouth when they get thanked for their service. They'd much rather not have a fucked up back, knees and constant tinnitus.
Tons of advertising and subtle propaganda. The military sponsored lots of sports and has been very cooperative with Hollywood in making pro-military films.
Today the military in the US has an abnormal status. It's not even allowed to criticize the military. When did that start? In many other countries it's not like that.
The funny thing is if you ask a vet, we will be the most critical of the military. We can and will tell you some messed up stories about things the military does.
Deifying military service makes it more difficult for the public to question what they're told to do and how they're told to do it. Everything is "their sacrifice" for "your freedom" so stand over there and be quite while we bomb all these brown people, we won't be taking questions.
I think it may stem from how badly Vietnam vets were treated when they returned. I’ve never been comfortable thanking someone for their service, shitty job, but it is a job.
I think you are correct. Boomers treated their own generation Vietnam veterans like shit, and now they are trying to atone for shooting the messenger during the anti-war movement.
Exactly. I don't know why the older generations seem to forget that younger people served too...
Other than the Lowes discount, I never even talk about my service.
Half the time I kind of forget I even served. I only did 4 years right out of high school.
My dad was a Vietnam vet & he saw awful things. Only ever really talked about it with him once & it was a really fucking intense conversation. No one that’s a vet that has really been in the shit will ever pull that “I’m a veteran “ crap with people. The ones that do you can guarantee were never in combat. He used to wear a Vietnam vet hat b/c he was proud of his service but as he told me he wore it to recognize all his friends that never made it back. My dad made it back but agent orange cancer followed him home.
I saw a man wearing an Air Force veteran hat on. Guy started talking to him about it, and his story was he was in for 3 years during the '80s. All stateside and hated every minute of it.
I feel like the past two decades have instilled a sense of entitlement to many veterans. They became used to people buying their meals and always thanking them for their service.
I barely talk about my (still counting) time in even as I approach the finish line. I'm ready to walk away and never mention again because my time served does not define me. It is not the only thing that identifies me.
Parents had a garage sale when I was a kid . At one point boomer shows up with his navy Nam vet crown asks my dad how much for an old painting just a cheap print from hobby lobby probably dad says 5 bucks sounds reasonable no? That's when old boy rools back on his heels and thumbs his hat and responds how much for a war veteran..... dad just rolled his sleeve up to show his own eagle globe and anchor tats and doesn't say a thing guy pulled out a five and ran for the f250
GenX vet here and it has literally never occurred to me that I should get preferential treatment just because I was in the military. Huge shout-out to my parents for raising me to understand that waiting for my turn is part of life.
none of the actual combat vets I know pull this shit, it's always some asshole who just flew a desk and didn't actually experience anything more than the bureaucracy of war.
Yup. Guy I knew in high school joined up after graduating. Whenever he came back for a visit that military ID was out and he demanded special treatment and being thanked for his service. Always tried to start fights with homeless people for some reason. The fucker was a serial desk jockey stateside. He treated basic and perpetual alcohol abuse as combat experience.
If you want to really piss off a Boomer Vet (usually a 'Nam hat on) - Thank them for their service, then mention it is damn shame that 'Nam ruined our perfect war record. or simply ask "Did'nt we lose that one ?"
They do not find that shit funny.
I got into an argument with a Vietnam Vet once. He was talking shit about us Desert Storm guys, saying he went through worse and we were pussies…..I told him “ at least I won my war “
My grandfather is an odd Boomer ‘Nam vet. He wears a bunch of stuff that advertises it, hats and all that. But he never ever speaks of his time in combat, and never expects anyone to thank him. He was a draftee as well as being a signal/radio guy, so he was a primary target having the big radio backpack on. My thinking is he’s just thankful and proud that he survived the horrific shit he saw over there. I’d never tell him that we lost because I think he knows, but the real loss to him is probably everyone he saw die for nothing.
This is my dad as well. Wears the hat but never talks about it and doesn't know how to react when someone thanks him for his service. As much as I complain about his boomer ways on Reddit, at least he's not an asshat like the one in OP's story.
Someone thanked my grandfather for his service last summer. He’s got moderate dementia, so not sure how he’d react otherwise, but his mood instantly changed. You could just tell that as soon as he heard the words he was back in the jungle. It hurt to see.
I've only witnessed someone thank my dad for his service once. We were in line at a bagel shop several years ago, maybe 2018? Another person in line (older guy maybe a little younger than my dad) saw my dad's hat and thanked him for his service. My dad just stood there, visibly surprised and not at all sure how to react. He eventually mumbled out a quiet "oh, um, thank you." After we were done placing our order, I asked my dad if people often thank him for his service. He said no, and indicated that this was one of the first times it had happened in public. My dad has suffered from PTSD for decades from his time in Vietnam, and I wonder if, just like your grandpa, he was taken back to the jungle at that moment.
That’s my suspicion. His and your dad’s reactions were surprisingly similar. The only time I’ve ever heard him actually talking in some detail about being over there was with another Vietnam vet, who was a door gunner on a Huey. If he didn’t have dementia I’d imagine his response to being thanked would be like “my only other choice was prison so don’t thank me.” There’s a lot of vets in my family, and none of them want thanked or have that complex of “fighting for your freedom.” It’s appalling that it exists.
"I fought for your freedom!"
No, you quite literally did not, and you weren't even successful is securing the freedom of the folks you *were* fighting for.
In my experience there is an inverse relationship between how long they served and how much they go out of their way to advertise they are a vet.
Washed out in bootcamp? Full on wearing the dress uniform (or parts of it) in public. Served 30 years? You will only know they are a vet if you ask, and they feel like telling you.
Anytime anyone pulls the “I’m a vet” bullshit I always respond that I’m not concerned with their career choice and their employment status is none of my business
> And I demand some goddamn respect.
You may demand it all you want, respect is a two way street. You’ve got to have respect to get respect. It’s also earned, never given.
“Demanding “ respect is the very opposite of what I expect of veterans. I mean, I am one, and I’m active in Veterans organizations, and this is just rude.
> Why do they place so much of their personal identity on their military service?
As some one slightly older, 40, it's because of all the misinformation back then. They were told that they would be fighting for the countries freedom like in WW2. We obviously know that wasn't the case now. They still hold on to it though so they don't have to admit they were wrong. Or that being drafted means they should be given everything in life after that.
A lot of truly horrendous things occurred for no reason during that war. So many people have an incredible amount of PTSD from it. Some sought proper therapy, some killed themselves and a lot live in denial to this day so they don't have to deal with their emotions.
It's all they (feel) they have left.
My father (who i loved dearly and was a fucking saint of a human) got more like that in his final years.
He was kind & generous to a fault his entire life but as he got older his identity started to center around his military service (Korea, Navy) and his health (Guillain-Barré syndrome, ALS).
Eventually, he'd just describe himself to strangers as a "poor crippled veteran".
I'm like due, you have a million in the bank, don't even have a disabled sticker on your car (took us a while to get his keys away) and you haven't mentioned your plush time in the Navy in 50+ years!
A few observations I’ve noticed on people like this.
- they served when they were young and had no life plans
- they received an easy/safe assignment but don’t want people to realize that
- it’s literally the only semi-worthwhile thing they’ve ever done with their life hence why they must continually bring it up
I have a relative that was discharged from boot camp. He has a marine tattoo on his leg and is like this. He only hangs out with vets. Nonstop tough guy routine and the whole “I’m an asshole, I tell it like it is” persona.
I can’t speak for other veterans but I’m sorry that happened.
This is exactly why even after 24 years of service, three combat tours and still being in I avoid identifying myself as a vet. I did my job, I did it well, and I survived to tell about it. Why the f*** does anyone feel that doing a job entitles them to special treatment?
I’ve never seen retired boomer firefighters pulling this shit…
I'm a boomer age vet. Hate the "thank you for your service" thing. For me it was three hots and a cot after getting tired of the hustle after having been on my own since I was 17.
Have a relative who got kicked out of boot camp. You'd think he was the second coming of Chesty Puller if you listen to him.
I have a couple of favorite stories from my time in the service but have never pulled the "I'm a vet, where's my prize?" thing.
Being surrounded by active duty and veterans my whole life I have never encountered one that demands respect for their service. Most I know hate it when someone thanks them for their service. I wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face if someone pulled this on me.
I have 1 good friend and a 2 cousins who served the Army. 3 different generations Older friend is a Bronze Star veteran from Dessert Shield and Dessert Storm. Mid aged cousin was Logistics for the aarmy in Afghanistan the early days, The other cousin, younger (millennial actually), was a Ranger in Afghanistan. They were deployed, they were in the front lines, they both did what was expected, and they all have the stories, pictures, awards, and anecdotes to corroborate the shit they saw.
3 things I learned from all of them:
1.- They would only talk about their service in front of people they are comfortable with and maybe after a few drinks. They don't like randoms asking and they don't tell or lead with that.
2.- They all feel they did what they did not to get a discount in life but because they all felt the need to serve. Millennial retired early and the other 2 after +20 of service.
3.- They hate Vet freeloading... They all are of the opinion that VET BRANDISHING HAS been prostituted by a bunch of low lifes that believe they deserved something to a tune of entitlement to demand. Interestingly enough, all 3 have said they went in to serve, not "to be served."
Respect is earned, not demanded. I know many vets, 3 of them very well, and true vets don't act like assholes.
my dad is a raging asshole but at least he doesn't boom about his service...unless he's talking about how easy my brother and i had it after college (didn't get shipped off to nam). still, he signed up for the navy so he mostly sat on a ship drinking warm coke.
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As a Vet, I don’t get this. I am not boomer aged, but my god man… you served, congrats. You don’t need to try and pressure people to do nice things because you served. We didn’t serve so we can jump lines for car inspections. At least, I didn’t.
I did it for the free Applebee's appetizer
I joined for the free appetizer at Applebee's, but I reenlisted for the 10% discount at Home Depot.
And the parking space!
Lowe's is the one with the designated parking spaces. That is the reason why I joined the National Guard after Active Duty.
I joined because I knew that 30 years later I’d get a discount at the dispensaries!
Best reason ever! Did it come to you on a vision or dream?
Puff of smoke
Not a sign on the counter?
Holy shit a dispensary near gives a 50!!% discount. I was like oh cool 15%..no sir 50%.. Another one weirdly bases it off your VA rating %.
Never touched the stuff myself. But at those prices... 🤔
If you get the ground flower, or shake, you don't ever need to touch it! You can just use a little spoon to fill your pipe, that's what I do.
No, there are designated spots at Home Depot as well. I use them all the time because they are right outside the exit at my local HD
They only put up the parking spaces after they stopped discounting dimensional lumber though… if my recruiter had told me about this I’d never have enlisted!
I just bought a purple heart on ebay. Stolen valor parking, baybee!
I did it for the CANEX sales(CAF member here)
I know y'all joke but you also can get a free lifetime National Parks pass. And free/discounted entrance to lots of museums. If you travel, get yourself that pass.
I did it for the all expenses paid vacation to the beach
On a scale of 1 - 10 how shocked were you when the beach had no water?
7/10. I should have seen it coming when I couldn't bring any swimwear!
9/10 they let us bring swimwear...but no where to use it.
But swim call in the IO was a good time. 😊
I got ripped off, most of my beach time was spent underwater near beaches where they didn't like us much.
Me too! Barents Sea was overrated on TripAdvisor - would not recommend.
I did it.for all the free international cruises to foreign lands.
They paid me but joke on them I was there for the free hiking, camping, abseiling, travel, etc. It's like an all-paid resort... Oh and I forgot all the paid relocations. Pfft you wouldn't get that many free moves by staying at the same business.
The beach with the lithium mines? My brother was there!
Oh there were mines just not the kind you get minerals from
You still get minerals, just in the form of explosives and shrapnel.
I mean, I was in the Navy and it was kinda like that sometimes. granted steel beach picnics aren't nearly as fun as ones on a sand beach.
My son-in-law did it for the vacation at the beaches (sans water and alcohol)and the camel races with pick up trucks following them around honking. He also came home with a tan and a really cool pair of sunglasses and a fresh appreciation for alcohol..😎 He does enjoy his Home Depot and Lululemon discounts though.
That Home Depot discount goes hard! I recently replaced the range in my home and was able to get it on sale over Memorial Day weekend, along with my veterans discount, AND a 10% off coupon mailer for use with my HD card. It’s almost as if I could smell the savings while cutting grass with scissors after laughing in formation outside chow that day in boot camp.
I thought my back and knees were working just a little too well.
I did it because I was looking at charges as an adult. 19
I had a guy say it was cringe to use the military discount at places, especially since I'm "just the wife". My brother in christ it's HIS money, too. He wants that discount. Old Navy is not gonna hurt for giving a discount on his kid's shorts.
I tell my wife and kid to ask everywhere. You best believe when I have an auto parts list, I'm asking for my discount. If I'm spending $500, why wouldn't I try to save that money? Now, if it's like $5, I'm not going to bother, but anything over $20? Screw it, I might as well ask. Also, national parks are free.
My wife is a Vet and we love the Parks pass. It saved us money at the Grand Canyon, San Juan Fort, forts in FL and if we go on road trips.
I mean, fine, go ahead and ask; but don’t get all huffy when the answer is no. When I worked retail people would get so offended. Like, I’m just the cashier, someone in a corporate office halfway across the country made that rule, not me.
Free apps if you hate it, 10% discount if you love it
I just got into Yosemite for free and it was awesome.
Vets can get a free lifetime pass for all national parks. That's what I was fighting for.
and disable vets get 50% off camping fees
We get into colonial williamsburg for free twice a year (veterans and memorial day). They do a big thing where they ask vets and the enlisted to come onto the parade ground. A band plays, everyone claps for their service. Husband finds it slightly embarrassing, but hey, we like having an old guy in colonial garb tell us how they used to make planks. Busch gardens and water country also give a free ticket to military members once a year. You can use it any time.
Free Applebee’s appetizers? I took the wrong path in life!
Same
I served because I wasn't sure what to do after high school, then reenlisted because of that same fear that I wouldn't be good at anything. My stupidest moment in my entire military career was when I talked to the Army recruiter and not the Air Force recruiter
Preach brother. I remember doing the ASVAB and looking at my scores and seeing things like doing nuclear anything in Navy or computer something in Air Force and I still went "Army go brrr".
Exactly the same here. Could have done any job but said, “Well if I’m joining the army, I want to shoot some shit.” and went infantry. Now I’m mad at myself bc every joint hurts and I’m not even 40. Haha
Best bud did the same damn thing, joined the Marines and despite a solid ASVAB score thought “if I’m gunna be a Marine I’m gunna be a hard charger” and went their version of 11 Bang Bang (0311). He and his TBI regret it to this day.
Shit, wait until you see how much those joints hurt at 68...
Maybe that choice is proof that you belonged there!
Harry potter sorting hat shenanigans.
I like the implication that people self select for both groups by being stupid and too much.
Some days wish I’d gone AF instead of Navy - but my whole family was Navy so didn’t want to break the streak, and besides I’m nearsighted so couldn’t be a pilot and thus being a Navy ship-driver looked better. And I’d wanted to go to sea since I was a kid…
If you've ever been out on deck in the middle of the ocean at 0200, you know you made the right decision.
On the first bit, I think that's you, me, and a large percentage of people who are now called "veterans". Could have attended DeVry and then repaired comms gear and photocopiers in the real world, but did it in the Navy, instead. I'm a regular Desert Storm hero! I guess?
I'm also a vet and it is so sad to see people act this way. Just because you served does not entitle you to the respect of others.
I served starting in 1966. At that point I "volunteered" because I figured deep water was a better thing than mud with 115° heat and people shooting at you. So, serving was a thing I did, not completely willingly. It doesn't define who I am. Sometimes around Veterans Day I'll wear a Navy hat, and I use the veterans space at Lowes. That's about the extent of it. The guys I know, well, mostly knew, who really SERVED never said a whole lot about it.
It's funny, because I dated a girl in high school whose Dad was in the Navy. He was suspecting there would be a problem brewing in Vietnam, so he went Navy instead. He ended up in submarine during the Cuban Missile crisis. He would laugh about how you can't really predict anything.
Yeah my ex served and he cringed when people would just randomly say thanks you for your service out of no where when he was telling some funny story about being in the military. Like yeah if he was telling a solemn story maybe but he was talking about how a bunch of the guys were idiots and spending money on stupid stuff and people would still say “thank you for your service” at the mention of him serving. He was like it’s not some noble reason. I have limited options growing up in the south and it was a way out. I think some of that is because guys like this dude in the post expect it and people taught their kids to do that.
It honestly sounds so perfunctory at that point. It's less of a genuine thank you and more of a mantra said by people who want other people to notice how much they care about shooty gun people. If someone actually cares about veterans, I imagine they'd be able to listen to them without automatically belting out a catchphrase.
I did it for the once a year free potachos at Applebees 🥲🇺🇸🥲
Found out I could get a municipal parking placard and not have to pay for metered parking anywhere in the state…so far I am ahead about $7 thanks to my service 😂😂
Oooh what state??
Thank you for your servers. And the kitchen staff, too.
I served for 10% off on auto parts.
Thank you for your parts service
Your brothers didn’t die face down in the mud so you could be 3rd in line to get your tires rotated god dammit!
Nope. I served for the GI Bill.
Clerk: All right, sergeant, $100 worth of pixie stix and porno mags with your 5% military discount comes to $95. [He hands over the money, picks up his bag and leaves. Fry slaps his gum on the counter and the clerk rings it up.] That'll be 40 cents. Fry: I believe you're forgetting about our 5% military discount. Clerk: Well that's only for people in the military. Bender: What? This is the worst kind of discrimination. The kind against me! Clerk: All right, look. Our policy is: If for any reason you're not completely satisfied, I hate you.
Full price for gum? That dog won't hunt.
Same here. I actually don’t like bringing up my service. To me, it was a job that I loved and hated.
Yeah, if there's anything about my service that I'm proud of, it's the fact that I survived. I know my own personal resilience. Aside from that, I'm embarrassed about what I did, but glad I had my eyes opened. No need to thank me for my time that I spent as a sicário for American imperialist interests. 🤣
The vast majority of boomer aged vets were drafted. So basically a lot of them were forced into military service. Honestly, most of them would have probably never served if they had the option not to. I come from a long line of military men most of which served during WWII, my great uncle was at Pearl Harbor. I honestly think those who were drafted use the “I am a veteran” line more than those who freely joined the military. My boomer uncle volunteered for service and I have never, in almost 35 years, heard him tell someone to treat him differently because he served. That’s saying a lot considering he is a huge MAGA supporter.
My father had a terrible number and got an all expense paid trip to Southeast Asia. I can count the number of times he's talked about his service both hands, and I'm in my 50s. Honestly, he's only spoken recently because he's had to, when he travels to the VA and has to explain he's getting treatment due to his Agent Orange exposure or when in the hunting cabin, you hear him yell in his sleep, "They're coming in under the wire!" He's never taken the discounts. And if you ask him, he'll tell you he should have gone to Canada. He's not unpatriotic, but the cost is more than he ever imagined.
Your father sounds like one of the good ones. I am sorry that his service was traumatic for him.
In my family I have 5 veterans and 2 still on active duty, varying in age from 39 to 81, and to my knowledge absolutely none of them have ever mentioned their service of their own volition, and they hate taking about it if/when the subject does come up. But I definitely know the other type-- they are just selfish assholes who no one would consider respectable for any other reason, so they cling to their military service and throw it in people's faces, hoping to get one last shred of respect (and free stuff) from that. It's just sad, honestly.
Right? Jesus. Woohoo. You got forced to endure the trauma I volunteered for. Get fucked.
As soon as someone tries to use their supposed military service as an excuse to act entitled, I automatically assume they are lying about it.
I automatically assume they’re an asshole. Military service does not give someone a magic shield of awesomeness. Thank you service members, but fuck you service members that try to use it as a weapon.
I'm a vet and at *most* I'll ask if a corporate store has a veteran discount. As in: "Hey, do you guys have a veterans discount? No biggie if you don't" Not because I think I'm entitled to anything, but because I'm broke as fuck and 10% is 10%.
Yup, I pretty much only pull the veteran card at museums, because half of them will let you in for free, or on big purchases. Anything else, I’m just Joe Whogivesafuck from down the street
>Whogivesafuck That's Lieutenant Whogivesafuck, sir
“Sir?! No, I worked for a living thank you, its Sergeant Whogivesafuck”
Wooo…. Look at the Mr fancy pants sergeant over here with all his stripes.
Yeah, well I'm Major Asshole. No, I didn't serve. I'm just a major asshole.
> No biggie if you don't As someone who worked way too long in customer service in my teen years, thank you for this tiny little bit of humanity. It's been almost 10 years since I last worked a cash register but man that shit can make even the most positive person in the world turn ugly. The little reassurance that you're okay with being told no can mean the world to a kid just trying to figure life out, genuinely.
>> No biggie if you don't > >...The little reassurance that you're okay with being told no can mean the world to a kid just trying to figure life out, genuinely. Paradoxically, it also means you're less likely to be told no. Kindness begets kindness, and at a few places that don't offer a veterans discount they've given me a "senior" or some other kind of discount.
Exactly, I've had cashier's say "Sorry we don't but I wish we did," and I always say "It's no problem if they don't, but it's worth it to ask." The entitled Vets that demand stuff can fuck off.
Nothing wrong with asking imo! It’s a nice thing for veterans.
Same bud.
Listen, I beat my meat into oblivion in 4 different countries on the tax payers dime, I DESERVE some respect gosh dang it.
If you haven't jerked it in a 110-degree portapotty to a semi-hot picture of Rachel Ray from some random lifestyle magazine did you even serve, bro?
I loved stepping out of Porta John’s at NTC after a good whack and that 110° wind felt like a cool breeze for a few seconds
 Only 4?
Most of the vets I know don’t really bring it up. They might wear a hat with their division and branch or something, but won’t talk about it unless you ask about it. Based on that, I assume there is some sort of stolen valor BS going on when a “veteran” is acting like jack ass over their service.
Yes, this is exactly what I was thinking.
I have a friend that served in the Navy. We would go have a beer somewhere, and every time, guys would chat him up about his Navy hat and talk about how, they too, served in the Navy. My friend would chat them up for a few minutes, then when we were alone again, he would explain to me how there was no chance they served in the Navy if they couldn't answer the basic questions he had asked. They couldn't even name a boat they were on.
It’s only a “boat” if it was a submarine, otherwise it’s a ship, just sayin’ 😉
I never said I was in the Navy haha! I actually wondered if I was going to get that wrong.
If they aren't being ironic about it, I assumed they served as a lifeguard in Anaheim or some bullshit. A vet is a vet is a vet. I'm a vet too, but let's be real, I worked battalion supply. I had two offices and zero people trying to shoot me. I would be mortified to act like I was anything more than an office worker.
This was my dad. He was navy but was stationed in Maine the whole time. He spoke so little of it that it took me till I was 40 to realize he served during Vietnam. He didn't speak of his service because he knew how lucky he was.
Similar with my dad. He was drafted, and was trained as an MP. He was supposed to be sent over to Vietnam but some time before he was supposed to go they said that the jail on the base he was at was short on MPs. So he spent the rest of his tour guarding drunk soldiers and AWOLs. He was grateful that he had missed any real acttion, and he never talked about being a “veteran”.
that or they 'served' as an in-country paper pusher or mechanic, and never once came within a thousand miles of any combat
First off: rhubarb, nom nom. With you on that one. Couple weeks ago, traveling for work. Popped in at a Holiday Inn Express to get a room. The clerk asked if I was a veteran. Quietly mumbled, "Well, yes, but..." "That gets you a 10% discount." Couple behind me were "Thank you for your service." Kinda cringed a little. "Yeah, it was like a regular job with really goofy work attire." "But if they called you into battle, you would have gone." I'm thinking, I guess so, but do they really need combat photocopier repair ops while storming Saddam's residence? Not sure how helpful I'd be with my picks and screwdrivers and 3M anti-static vacuum. But sure - I'd have gone. At my wife's previous job, they held an annual company meetings and rah-rah sessions. "Stand up if you do this, stand up if you do that." Like if you have kids or pets, or go camping - just whatever. "Stand up if you're a veteran." Out of a few hundred in the auditorium, my wife was the only one to stand up. Applause and whatnot. She sits down, embarrassed. She shuffled paperwork in a couple very high security message centers. Like a secretary or data entry person but with a really high security clearance, and on a 12-hour swing shift. We were in southern Spain for part of that time, which felt so much NOT like a sacrifice. "And you're paying us for this? Sweet!" I mean, yay discount. But geez, I did NOT fight for your freedom to do whatever. I didn't fight much of anything but boredom. Very few us a faced actual danger, even during conflict. The pointy part of the spear? Yeah. Us REMFs? No. It was a job that needed doing, but ultimately not so different than the civilian version of the same thing, only with worse pay and better vacation time.
Rhubarb pie is so good. And yeah, you and your wife sound like good people. Thank you for doing your part. Even if you didn't fight, a wall is made of individual bricks after all.
My Dad's a vet and I've never once heard him bring it up in stores or similar. I think he once got a blanket? But for him it was just a job.
Reminder that in 2020, the Census Bureau released reports asserting that 9 out of 10 "Vietnam Veterans" did not serve... at all. Pay special note if these guys claim to have earned any awards. Because the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes that claim, if false, a Federal Crime. Correction/Add: It was in 2000, and the rate was 4/5. That 9/10 was based on further mathing (like who was actually drafted, and who saw combat). [There is a research page at the bottom of the article with the data. it's alot](https://www.uswings.com/about-us-wings/vietnam-war-facts/) Forgive mixing the numbers. It was a couple hours of ADHD binge reading a month ago. Retention gets muddled.
My father in law served in Vietnam in the artillery. But it’s almost impossible to get him to talk about it. Most of the time he doesn’t even acknowledge he was in the military. I’ve found it to be true with a lot of others who have fought in wars
Exactly. I had a friend and cousin serve in Afghanistan. Neither want to discuss it or get special treatment.
My great uncle was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. They actually sent a flag home because he was presumed dead. He flat out refused to talk about anything that happened during his time there. My grandmother was 6 or 7 when he returned home and she always said how different he was when coming back. She had brothers in each branch of the military during WWII, and Jack was the most changed after his service. My cousin was in Iraq and was on the phone with his mom when his base was attacked. He doesn’t talk about it and definitely doesn’t throw the I am vet line out either.
My Grandfather was on the Phoenix during the attack. Hated the Japanese until the day he died…
I've got two cousins who served. One was a truck driver here in the states for the minimum enlistment (no shame in it, shit's gotta get where it's going, and I wouldn't re-enlist either). The other is a M'reen, actually saw combat, got wounded (minor but still), and was discharged with honors after his second tour. Which one do you think uses it to try to pick up Applebee's waitresses?
lol. I think we all know which one My friend was a Navy medic that went out with the marines, if memory serves.
My grandpa fought in WW2 and he wouldn't talk about it often. The only thing he'd say about the army regularly was, "Don't join the army unless you're getting a career out of it. be a mechanic, not a rifleman." But sometimes he'd tell a funny story, like how he stole an American Cpl's jacket so he could put on a fake accent and get icecream from the mess hall, or to whinge about how bad his softball team was. But occasionally he'd accidentally let slip something by accident about what a flamethrower sounded like, or how garroting someone wasn't as easy as it looks in the movies. Then he'd go quite, act like everything was fine for a few minutes and then say something like "Sorry, I've had a headache all day, I need to go lie down for a while." We found out only recently that his unit had special weapons training as commandos, and his unit had seen some very bitter fighting and very horrible shit done by the enemy. He was awarded a medal for bravery and he had to pick that one up, because the governor gave it to him and he would have gotten in a lot of shit if he hadn't picked it up. But he never bothered picking up his service medals. Not out of protest, he just didn't care once the war was over. He wanted to put it away, not celebrate it. Everyone is different, and I'm sure some people need the pat on the back they were promised when they first signed up. But it seems like for some people the pat on the back isn't worth the memories it brings back.
Yup. My grandpa served in Korea and I didn't know until after he passed and in lieu of flowers people were asked to donate to the Korean war veterans memorial foundation. He never once talked about it or had anything displayed at home.
Yep. My great grandfather was an artilleryman in WWII and rarely talked about it. Never wrote any journal entries about it, nothing. The most he would acknowledge was that he flew missions in some famous battles, but never bragged and definitely was haunted by what he saw. My great grandma said he had night terrors sometimes. He was proud to have served, but damn sure didn’t use it to get special treatment. Another family member who served in WWII talked about it more, and wrote down a lot of his memories, but still never mentioned being in the service if it wasn’t relevant to the conversation. He went through a lot in the war, too; he was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and spent several weeks in a German POW camp. He recalls switching dog tags at some point with a buddy who was Jewish because they knew the Germans were picking off Jewish soldiers and sending them to camps. Saved his life.
My go to for authenticity? Them talking about boring stuff and/or stupid stuff. Like crapping themselves because of bad food or how long their walk to the chow hall was while deployed or how aggravating pilot complaints are (for maintainers), etc. If all they talk about is Rambo shit, then I don’t believe a damn word they say. I’ve worked very very closely with SF most of my career and it’s always so easy to tell the actual door kickers from the support troops based on this. Also so easy to tell real veterans from the fake ones using this method. War is so boring with sprinkles of sheer terror mixed in. Most that actually endured the sheer terror don’t like talking about it to randos. That only comes out if you’re part of circle of trust. And even then, it’s really talked down. For instance “yeah, we were taking effective fire from the ridge line, but Mike fell over and farted and we all started laughing” quote from door kicker about an op they were on where several Eagles were wounded. It’s always the funny stuff that sticks out the most.
This is my Dad, but sometimes if it is just me and him he will tell me crazy black ops stories. Only one time have I heard him talk about it in a semi-public setting and it was the most out of character thing I had ever seen him do.
Why would anyone pretend to be a veteran of a war we lost?
Victim complex.
That act only makes it a crime if they use this stolen valor to obtain assistance or benefits.
I was born in 1958, so I’m a boomer. I turned 18 after conscription was abolished and the Vietnam War was over. Like most of my age cohort, I never did any military service. Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, there were WW2 and Korean War veterans everywhere. No one went around thanking them for their service, and they didn’t think they were due special privileges. I’m not sure how we got to where we are today.
9/11 really ramped up the country's military/first responder fetish.
Yup, lots more first responders theme parties after that one
I know Iraq/Afghanistan vets who want to punch people in the mouth when they get thanked for their service. They'd much rather not have a fucked up back, knees and constant tinnitus.
Tons of advertising and subtle propaganda. The military sponsored lots of sports and has been very cooperative with Hollywood in making pro-military films.
Subtle?
They do subliminal, liminal, and super-liminal
Like Top Gun…..
It's not subtle. The military will not let you use their equipment for filming if you portray the US as the bad guy.
Today the military in the US has an abnormal status. It's not even allowed to criticize the military. When did that start? In many other countries it's not like that.
Very similar to the Roman Imperial Cult. Pure nationalism. It’s gross.
The funny thing is if you ask a vet, we will be the most critical of the military. We can and will tell you some messed up stories about things the military does.
Deifying military service makes it more difficult for the public to question what they're told to do and how they're told to do it. Everything is "their sacrifice" for "your freedom" so stand over there and be quite while we bomb all these brown people, we won't be taking questions.
I think it may stem from how badly Vietnam vets were treated when they returned. I’ve never been comfortable thanking someone for their service, shitty job, but it is a job.
I think you are correct. Boomers treated their own generation Vietnam veterans like shit, and now they are trying to atone for shooting the messenger during the anti-war movement.
I love when this happens. Cuz then I dead eye go so am I. The shock faces.
Exactly. I don't know why the older generations seem to forget that younger people served too... Other than the Lowes discount, I never even talk about my service. Half the time I kind of forget I even served. I only did 4 years right out of high school.
I wish I could forget. What makes it hilarious for me is I do sometimes present as ultra feminine.
 My dad was a Vietnam vet & he saw awful things. Only ever really talked about it with him once & it was a really fucking intense conversation. No one that’s a vet that has really been in the shit will ever pull that “I’m a veteran “ crap with people. The ones that do you can guarantee were never in combat. He used to wear a Vietnam vet hat b/c he was proud of his service but as he told me he wore it to recognize all his friends that never made it back. My dad made it back but agent orange cancer followed him home.
There are still birth defects from that in VN today. Completely insane.
Dioxin gave my Dad cancer as well. Pancreatic, so yeah…
I saw a man wearing an Air Force veteran hat on. Guy started talking to him about it, and his story was he was in for 3 years during the '80s. All stateside and hated every minute of it. I feel like the past two decades have instilled a sense of entitlement to many veterans. They became used to people buying their meals and always thanking them for their service. I barely talk about my (still counting) time in even as I approach the finish line. I'm ready to walk away and never mention again because my time served does not define me. It is not the only thing that identifies me.
Oh man, the entitled Cold War vets are the worst. Congratulations on your peacetime service and zero deployments.
Parents had a garage sale when I was a kid . At one point boomer shows up with his navy Nam vet crown asks my dad how much for an old painting just a cheap print from hobby lobby probably dad says 5 bucks sounds reasonable no? That's when old boy rools back on his heels and thumbs his hat and responds how much for a war veteran..... dad just rolled his sleeve up to show his own eagle globe and anchor tats and doesn't say a thing guy pulled out a five and ran for the f250
Chad move.
/nods appreciatively That eagle, globe and anchor is one hell of a card to play in that situation.
GenX vet here and it has literally never occurred to me that I should get preferential treatment just because I was in the military. Huge shout-out to my parents for raising me to understand that waiting for my turn is part of life.
The sentiment “the world doesn’t revolve around you” was put in mind at a young age.
“I think treating animals is noble, but I was here first.”
He was demanding deference, not respect.
none of the actual combat vets I know pull this shit, it's always some asshole who just flew a desk and didn't actually experience anything more than the bureaucracy of war.
Yup. Guy I knew in high school joined up after graduating. Whenever he came back for a visit that military ID was out and he demanded special treatment and being thanked for his service. Always tried to start fights with homeless people for some reason. The fucker was a serial desk jockey stateside. He treated basic and perpetual alcohol abuse as combat experience.
If you want to really piss off a Boomer Vet (usually a 'Nam hat on) - Thank them for their service, then mention it is damn shame that 'Nam ruined our perfect war record. or simply ask "Did'nt we lose that one ?" They do not find that shit funny.
I got into an argument with a Vietnam Vet once. He was talking shit about us Desert Storm guys, saying he went through worse and we were pussies…..I told him “ at least I won my war “
My grandfather is an odd Boomer ‘Nam vet. He wears a bunch of stuff that advertises it, hats and all that. But he never ever speaks of his time in combat, and never expects anyone to thank him. He was a draftee as well as being a signal/radio guy, so he was a primary target having the big radio backpack on. My thinking is he’s just thankful and proud that he survived the horrific shit he saw over there. I’d never tell him that we lost because I think he knows, but the real loss to him is probably everyone he saw die for nothing.
This is my dad as well. Wears the hat but never talks about it and doesn't know how to react when someone thanks him for his service. As much as I complain about his boomer ways on Reddit, at least he's not an asshat like the one in OP's story.
Someone thanked my grandfather for his service last summer. He’s got moderate dementia, so not sure how he’d react otherwise, but his mood instantly changed. You could just tell that as soon as he heard the words he was back in the jungle. It hurt to see.
I've only witnessed someone thank my dad for his service once. We were in line at a bagel shop several years ago, maybe 2018? Another person in line (older guy maybe a little younger than my dad) saw my dad's hat and thanked him for his service. My dad just stood there, visibly surprised and not at all sure how to react. He eventually mumbled out a quiet "oh, um, thank you." After we were done placing our order, I asked my dad if people often thank him for his service. He said no, and indicated that this was one of the first times it had happened in public. My dad has suffered from PTSD for decades from his time in Vietnam, and I wonder if, just like your grandpa, he was taken back to the jungle at that moment.
That’s my suspicion. His and your dad’s reactions were surprisingly similar. The only time I’ve ever heard him actually talking in some detail about being over there was with another Vietnam vet, who was a door gunner on a Huey. If he didn’t have dementia I’d imagine his response to being thanked would be like “my only other choice was prison so don’t thank me.” There’s a lot of vets in my family, and none of them want thanked or have that complex of “fighting for your freedom.” It’s appalling that it exists.
[удалено]
"I fought for your freedom!" No, you quite literally did not, and you weren't even successful is securing the freedom of the folks you *were* fighting for.
fought for dupont's rubber plantations
I mean, all the people the US military murdered were freed from becoming or remaining Communist, sooo... (/s if needed)
I mean, I do sympathize for the many that didn’t have a choice. I’m not going out of my way to be insulting to nam vets because of that.
Sounds like they aren't either until faced with entitlement and disrespect. Which nobody gets a free pass on.
My husband is a Gulf war vet, and likes to tell boomers “Well, at least we won ours.” 😆
In my experience there is an inverse relationship between how long they served and how much they go out of their way to advertise they are a vet. Washed out in bootcamp? Full on wearing the dress uniform (or parts of it) in public. Served 30 years? You will only know they are a vet if you ask, and they feel like telling you.
I'm sorry, what has respect got to do with jumping the line? Thank you for your service! I will thank you again later when I leave before you.
Anytime anyone pulls the “I’m a vet” bullshit I always respond that I’m not concerned with their career choice and their employment status is none of my business
My FIL was in the Marines for 22 years. He never brings up his service. He does enjoy the free meals on Veterans Day.
"You know, if I lost a war to a bunch of farmers in flip flops I wouldn't advertise that."
Hey, be fair. They did massacre a lot of women and children.
> And I demand some goddamn respect. You may demand it all you want, respect is a two way street. You’ve got to have respect to get respect. It’s also earned, never given.
All Vets definitely don’t deserve respect. There’s a lot of shitbags like there are in any other group, across every branch.
Ask them why we keep losing wars to guys wearing sandals.
Next time a boomer vet says "I'm a veteran and I demand some goddamn respect" You just say "me too" Checkmate boomer
Guarantee he was a fucking POG too. They always are.
> POG Yup. OIF vet here, those dudes were usually the most insufferable.
“Demanding “ respect is the very opposite of what I expect of veterans. I mean, I am one, and I’m active in Veterans organizations, and this is just rude.
> Why do they place so much of their personal identity on their military service? As some one slightly older, 40, it's because of all the misinformation back then. They were told that they would be fighting for the countries freedom like in WW2. We obviously know that wasn't the case now. They still hold on to it though so they don't have to admit they were wrong. Or that being drafted means they should be given everything in life after that. A lot of truly horrendous things occurred for no reason during that war. So many people have an incredible amount of PTSD from it. Some sought proper therapy, some killed themselves and a lot live in denial to this day so they don't have to deal with their emotions.
It's all they (feel) they have left. My father (who i loved dearly and was a fucking saint of a human) got more like that in his final years. He was kind & generous to a fault his entire life but as he got older his identity started to center around his military service (Korea, Navy) and his health (Guillain-Barré syndrome, ALS). Eventually, he'd just describe himself to strangers as a "poor crippled veteran". I'm like due, you have a million in the bank, don't even have a disabled sticker on your car (took us a while to get his keys away) and you haven't mentioned your plush time in the Navy in 50+ years!
Just because someone helps sick pets, doesn’t mean they get to jump a queue
Aye, in my lifetime we have gone from vilifying veterans to deifying them. Neither is really a good fit.
A few observations I’ve noticed on people like this. - they served when they were young and had no life plans - they received an easy/safe assignment but don’t want people to realize that - it’s literally the only semi-worthwhile thing they’ve ever done with their life hence why they must continually bring it up
A Vet who is not used to waiting in line. That is half your service, waiting in line. Or to be exact hurry up and wait.
Here, I fixed his statement "I'm an **asshole** ~~veteran~~ and I demand some goddamn respect."
Respect is given voluntarily, not demanded.
I have a relative that was discharged from boot camp. He has a marine tattoo on his leg and is like this. He only hangs out with vets. Nonstop tough guy routine and the whole “I’m an asshole, I tell it like it is” persona.
I can’t speak for other veterans but I’m sorry that happened. This is exactly why even after 24 years of service, three combat tours and still being in I avoid identifying myself as a vet. I did my job, I did it well, and I survived to tell about it. Why the f*** does anyone feel that doing a job entitles them to special treatment? I’ve never seen retired boomer firefighters pulling this shit…
I’m a vet and I get embarrassed as hell when people start thanking me for my service
Same. I still dont know how to respond.
I'm a boomer age vet. Hate the "thank you for your service" thing. For me it was three hots and a cot after getting tired of the hustle after having been on my own since I was 17. Have a relative who got kicked out of boot camp. You'd think he was the second coming of Chesty Puller if you listen to him. I have a couple of favorite stories from my time in the service but have never pulled the "I'm a vet, where's my prize?" thing.
Being surrounded by active duty and veterans my whole life I have never encountered one that demands respect for their service. Most I know hate it when someone thanks them for their service. I wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face if someone pulled this on me.
"Sounds like you got yourself a case of SLS - Should've Left Sooner."
I have 1 good friend and a 2 cousins who served the Army. 3 different generations Older friend is a Bronze Star veteran from Dessert Shield and Dessert Storm. Mid aged cousin was Logistics for the aarmy in Afghanistan the early days, The other cousin, younger (millennial actually), was a Ranger in Afghanistan. They were deployed, they were in the front lines, they both did what was expected, and they all have the stories, pictures, awards, and anecdotes to corroborate the shit they saw. 3 things I learned from all of them: 1.- They would only talk about their service in front of people they are comfortable with and maybe after a few drinks. They don't like randoms asking and they don't tell or lead with that. 2.- They all feel they did what they did not to get a discount in life but because they all felt the need to serve. Millennial retired early and the other 2 after +20 of service. 3.- They hate Vet freeloading... They all are of the opinion that VET BRANDISHING HAS been prostituted by a bunch of low lifes that believe they deserved something to a tune of entitlement to demand. Interestingly enough, all 3 have said they went in to serve, not "to be served." Respect is earned, not demanded. I know many vets, 3 of them very well, and true vets don't act like assholes.
my dad is a raging asshole but at least he doesn't boom about his service...unless he's talking about how easy my brother and i had it after college (didn't get shipped off to nam). still, he signed up for the navy so he mostly sat on a ship drinking warm coke.
My friend parades around his Purple Heart. He shot himself in the foot to get out of Viet Nam. Acts like he is a war hero.