Thank You for Your Service

Gilbert Buettner

Gilbert Buettner

Line Up and Wait
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Dec 5, 2022
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Wausau, Wisconsin
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Gil
Today I was sitting in the Rochester, NY airport waiting for my flight when a young man came up to me and, seeing my Vietnam Veteran cap, said, "Excuse me, sir. Thank you for your service." I was a bit surprised and just replied, "You're welcome." It's a natural reply to a thank you and just came out. What I try to say, when I get that, is "It was an honor" or "it was my privilege."

Very few people cared when we came home from Vietnam, and it wasn't until about ten years ago that a guy said, "Welcome home." Wow. That was the first time I remember anyone saying welcome home.

Today there are a lot of people who feel much differently about veterans than back in the 60s and 70s, and the "Thank you for your service" is pretty common. I never really cared for it, because they mean well but probably have no understanding of what it was to face the draft, to know you were going to have to do something.... and it seems like sort of an obligatory thing to say.

If you see a Vietnam veteran, think about saying "Welcome home!" It would mean much more than a thank you for something in which we really had little choice.
 
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Yeah, different mindset back then. I went to high school at a private military school. In 1973 I was walking home from school in my ROTC uniform when a VW car painted with flowers and a peace symbol and loaded with girls slowly drove by. They yelled baby killer then threw a beer can at me. And this was in a very conservative town at the time. They probably went and bragged to their friends on what they did.

Gilbert, thank you for going, thank you for doing your best and thank you for coming home.
 
Please do not misread any negative in my response - not intended.

Objectively, if one is wearing a WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Air Force/Army/Navy/Marine or whatever cap, they’re pretty clearly communicating they want to be recognized for that service. Even if one was drafted, if they’re wearing the cap (or lapel pin or car decal), they’re proud of their contribution. Saying thanks, regardless of whether or not the service was voluntary, seems polite and sincere. If one doesn’t want to hear thanks, maybe not wearing the cap/lapel pin/sticker could be an option.

You served. You didn’t declare you had bone spurs or something. Thanks.

/A fellow Vet (who chooses to say “my privilege” in response)
 
Not a vet myself. However if the opportunity presents itself and I see the uniform or something else that identifies a person as military or vet, I won't put them on the spot by thanking them directly. But if you happen to find your meal paid for, thank you.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
Please do not misread any negative in my response - not intended.

Objectively, if one is wearing a WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Air Force/Army/Navy/Marine or whatever cap, they’re pretty clearly communicating they want to be recognized for that service. Even if one was drafted, if they’re wearing the cap (or lapel pin or car decal), they’re proud of their contribution. Saying thanks, regardless of whether or not the service was voluntary, seems polite and sincere. If one doesn’t want to hear thanks, maybe not wearing the cap/lapel pin/sticker could be an option.

You served. You didn’t declare you had bone spurs or something. Thanks.

/A fellow Vet (who chooses to say “my privilege” in response)
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Yes, I do want to be recognized. By fellow veterans.

And I want to return that recognition.
 
It was always awkward for me too and I didn’t know what to say. “You’re welcome” didn’t sound right so now I just say “thank you for your support” but I don’t wear anything that would indicate I was ever in the Air Force. I wore a uniform for 24 years, that was enough. It is when I use my military discount or show my retired ID card when people say it. I think nowadays they feel compelled to say it. That’s okay I guess.
 
I don’t wear anything to indicate that I was in the service. The only time anyone notices is when I show my VIC for park admissions, discounts, etc.
 
I rarely get it but I rarely wear vet stuff and rarely use military discounts. Even Lowes. No stickers on the vehicles either and no GWOT license plate! Old friend was visiting the other day and had an Air Medal license plate. That’s fine and all but not for me.
 
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Here's my problem with thanking someone wearing a hat. I have seen these in grocery stores and Walmart too.
People have been known to buy these hats and wear them on street corners with cardboard signs saying "homeless Vet".
Many of them are neither homeless or veterans.

My brother (two tours in Nam) would sometimes ask them what unit they were with. Most of them didn't even know how to answer.

To the real Vets, "Welcome Home".
 

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Velocity173 said:
I rarely get it but I rarely wear vet stuff and rarely use military discounts. Even Lowes. No stickers on the vehicles either and no GWOT license plate! Old friend was visiting the other day and had an Air Medal license plate. That’s fine and all but not for me.
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I should qualify my previous answers a bit. Here in Austin, the airport gives free parking for certain vets (based on certain medals plus for disabled, which I’m not). and a license plate is needed. That has saved me well north of $1,000 so far, so I have the plates.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
I should qualify my previous answers a bit. Here in Austin, the airport gives free parking for certain vets (based on certain medals plus for disabled, which I’m not). and a license plate is needed. That has saved me well north of $1,000 so far, so I have the plates.
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Yeah if I were disabled I have the plate but random awards, nah. Few weeks back in my town I saw an Air Force vet leaving a restaurant and he had an MSM license plate. Same day I saw another car at the grocery store with a DFC plate. Now, personally I’m not gonna get a plate for an MSM but if I was awarded a DFC? Yeah I’d probably get one for that. Then again, a lot of DFCs were awarded the last 20 yrs for stupid stuff that should’ve been just an AM.
 
Not exactly sure what to say to this guy…(for those not familiar, an “Article 15” is a punishment for things not bad enough to warrant a jury trial) (Just saw this guy literally half an hour ago)

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Times sure have changed. My graduating class at Stanford had exactly 7 of us serve in the military out of a class of 1600. In the late 70s, military service was vilified on campus; there was no distinction made between those who served and the nation’s policies. Nowadays everyone wants to thank us for our service.
 
Llewtrah381 said:
Not exactly sure what to say to this guy…(for those not familiar, an “Article 15” is a punishment for things not bad enough to warrant a jury trial) (Just saw this guy literally half an hour ago)

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We have a guy around here that has a Purple Heart vanity plate IT HURT. Another one sats OUCH.
 
I have a DFC license plate in Massachusetts because it is a benefit the states grants veterans at no cost . Saves a lot on registration fees.
 
I grew up in a military family, and was military myself. Whenever I hear "thank you for your service" I find it a little odd, in that it wasn't a thing when I was growing up. The military was just another job. It's akin to telling a French chef "Thank you for your ceviche." I suppose the dynamic might be a little different if one was drafted but that was before my time.

I don't need thanks*. I didn't sign up for medals or ribbons and I don't feel some sort of special entitlement. I signed up because it was the life I knew plus I wanted to play with cool toys and do cool stuff.

*I'm not saying I would turn down a beer
 
Zeldman said:
Yeah, different mindset back then. I went to high school at a private military school. In 1973 I was walking home from school in my ROTC uniform when a VW car painted with flowers and a peace symbol and loaded with girls slowly drove by. They yelled baby killer then threw a beer can at me. And this was in a very conservative town at the time. They probably went and bragged to their friends on what they did.

Gilbert, thank you for going, thank you for doing your best and thank you for coming home.
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I remember being called a baby killer when I was in ROTC in college. We were under orders when in uniform to tolerate all abuse said in our direction. The unofficial orders where when out of uniform we don't care what you do to them. The interesting thing was that every time I heard someone say something negative it was behind my back so I couldn't identify them. That M14 I carried in formation was checked out to me. I said to my fellow cadets that if any hippy so much as laid a finger on that rifle he would sound like a woman, singing soprano, for the rest of his life, however short that might be.

Iflydogs said:
Times sure have changed. My graduating class at Stanford had exactly 7 of us serve in the military out of a class of 1600. In the late 70s, military service was vilified on campus; there was no distinction made between those who served and the nation’s policies.
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I was told (by others) that I was in ROTC to dodge the draft. Yeah, I was in the last high school class who could get a 2S student deferment (class of 1970). I traded it in for a 1D ROTC deferment. My lottery number was 297 when they came up with them, so I really didn't care if they reclassified me 1A. I blew my commissioning physical due to injuries suffered when a clown ran a stop sign and hit our motorcycle broadside, so I traded that 1D for a 4F. No active duty, but I still have my DD 214 saying that I was honorably discharged. I tried to serve, but in 1975 Vietnam had ended and the Army was looking for reasons not to commission people. Oh well, at least I earned a BSEE degree and my career was nothing to complain about.
 
Ghery said:
was told (by others) that I was in ROTC to dodge the draft. Yeah, I was in the last high school class who could get a 2S student deferment (class of 1970). I traded it in for a 1D ROTC deferment. My lottery number was 297 when they came up with them, so I really didn't care if they reclassified me 1A. I blew my commissioning physical due to injuries suffered when a clown ran a stop sign and hit our motorcycle broadside, so I traded that 1D for a 4F. No active duty, but I still have my DD 214 saying that I was honorably discharged
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I graduated HS in 79 so wasn’t subject to the draft. Didn’t join ROTC but in any case it wasn’t on campus, the student had firebombed it a few years before and all the services pulled out of Stanford, not to return. The ROTC guys had to travel to Berkley to go; I believe they still do today.
 
Iflydogs said:
I graduated HS in 79 so wasn’t subject to the draft. Didn’t join ROTC but in any case it wasn’t on campus, the student had firebombed it a few years before and all the services pulled out of Stanford, not to return. The ROTC guys had to travel to Berkley to go; I believe they still do today.
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As I recall, any Morrill grant school (Washington State University is one) is required to offer ROTC. You don't have to be a ROTC cadet, but the school must offer it as an option. A fast way to find out if a school is one is to look at their list of buildings. If they have a Morrill Hall, they probably are one.
 
Ghery said:
As I recall, any Morrill grant school (Washington State University is one) is required to offer ROTC. You don't have to be a ROTC cadet, but the school must offer it as an option. A fast way to find out if a school is one is to look at their list of buildings. If they have a Morrill Hall, they probably are one.
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I went to the University of Missouri, where ROTC was required for the first two years. It's a land grant university. After two years of Army ROTC, I joined the Air Force when I graduated.
 
When I'm thanked for my service, I usually reply, "Thanks, but I got more out of it than I put into it." It puts both of us at ease.

They don't need to know that I put a lot of pain, suffering, and loss into that service and was fortunate enough for it to have changed my life in a way that is still paying dividends now. It's a complicated calculation.
 
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