Veterans days always make me feel weird.

[Jackpine Radical]

Especially when someone says "Thank you for your service." You see, I was an infantryman in Vietnam, but I did not serve willingly. I was drafted, forced into a deadly form of involuntary servitude, and whatever illusions I might originally have had about the rightness of the war were quickly torn from me when I saw what we were doing to the innocent people, the sacred soils, the beautiful waters and jungles and mountains of that tormented land.

"No, don't thank me," I want to say. "Forgive me. Forgive me for participating in that awful event in your name. If you must thank me for something, then thank me for joining the movement to stop the war when I got home. Maybe thank me for the things I have tried to do for the castoffs of society--the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, the emotionally damaged products of chaotic and abusive homes who have gone on to fill our jails and prisons. But don't thank me for going off to participate in the destruction of a foreign land whose residents never intended any harm to you or me."

[Laelth]

1. I forgive you, though it is not my place to forgive. You did what you had to do.

I thank you all the same because public service of any kind (military, civil service, post office worker, teacher) is noble. We are all in this boat together.



-Laelth

[Demeter]

8. And I ask you to forgive the society that let the govt. enslave you to kill

At least, we managed to kill the draft.

Next up, an end to wars of violence AND econiomics! This I believe....

[Glorfindel]

2. I know exactly what you mean. "The horror...the horror" was receiving that induction notice

I wasn't an infantryman, and I never really felt endangered, but it was involuntary servitude.

[redwitch]

3. I am switching to "I'm glad you made it back".

So many didn't. Thanks for helping the most vulnerable.

[pipi_k]

6. That's a good option...

I can't look at photos of the Vietnam Wall without crying.


In addition to those who didn't make it back, there were also some who did make it back, albeit missing limbs, burned by napalm, and emotionally scarred forever.

Makes my heart hurt to think of it all.

[daleanime]

10. Go in person....

there really are no words.

[spanone]

4. k&r...

[NuclearDem]

5. It's really old because it's an attempt to define you only by your time in the military.

Yes, I was in, but I'd much rather be thanked for choosing a career path to preserve mankind's cultural and historical legacy than my time spent spying on innocent people.

[pipi_k]

7. No need...

to apologize.

What choice did you have as a young man?

You did what you had to do and made it back.

And maybe a little part of what you feel could be chalked up to survivor's guilt? There's no shame in surviving something that horrible.

[JDPriestly]

9. It's the day when veterans celebrate their thankfulness that they are still alive after

serving in the US military for x number of years.

[Ernesto]

11. Survivor's guilt.......... nt

[AtheistCrusader]

12. There is nothing to forgive.

I cannot hold someone responsible for being singled out by the government, forced to go to war on punishment of imprisonment, ply you with propaganda and compliance training, and lie to you every step of the way.

I understand if you regret it, but the blame solely lies with the civilian leadership of the United States Government, that seized you and sent you off to war.

[Rambis]

13. Makes me wonder why we are fucking them over the other 364

a free meal? Please!

[Wait Wut]

14. Forgive you? Hell no.

It's unnecessary. I'm sorry you had to go through it, glad you made it back.