General Discussion

Recursion

(56,582 posts) Sat May 26, 2012, 11:09 AM May 2012

I hate to be an ass, but stop "thanking me for my service on Memorial Day" [View all]

I'm not one of those vets who gets irritated on being thanked for serving; I do actually enjoy that. What bothers me is the idea that Memorial Day is in particular a day to do that.

We have Armed Forces Day (last weekend, in fact) to honor people who are currently serving. We have Veterans' day to honor veterans. By all means, buy me a beer this November 11th (I can be found at the American Legion Post on Capitol Hill in all likelihood; for a beer I will certainly sign you in).

Memorial Day is for honoring the fallen. It's not even limited to those who died in war. It's for remembering those who shaped our lives and are not with us in the body anymore. Love does not end with the life of the loved, and Memorial Day is (in theory) the day we set aside to honor that.

Obviously the bigger problem is the furniture sales. It's definitely not a day to buy a widescreen TV really cheap. But here we are.

That said, I think this is the right time for Rolling Thunder to do what they do for POW/MIA awareness. So maybe I'm a hypocrite. *shrug*

61 replies

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I hate to be an ass, but stop "thanking me for my service on Memorial Day" [View all] Recursion May 2012 OP

If you want to thank a veteran, fallen or otherwise, for his/her service.... Scuba May 2012 #1

Out of the park!! Grand slam!! Ishoutandscream2 May 2012 #2

Well said Recursion May 2012 #3

My observation: Air force & Navy vets seem to love wars tabasco May 2012 #10

Sometimes you don't need to be near bullets to be injured - TBF May 2012 #18

Not too many army people rotted away in POW cages in Vietnam. former9thward May 2012 #26

Tens of thousands more grunts got blown away in rice paddies. tabasco May 2012 #35

Air Force vet here. Generalizations are often wrong. Scuba May 2012 #27

I did not generalize. tabasco May 2012 #32

Funny, I didn't see you "observing" in the rivers of Vietnam. & I'll bet WWII & Korean War Navy vets UTUSN May 2012 #36

I'm with you SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #37

Thanks & salutes to you both. n/t UTUSN May 2012 #40

Quite possibly the dumbest fucking post in DU history. 11 Bravo May 2012 #29

Stating my observation? tabasco May 2012 #31

Army combat vet? Then how could you make such an observation? AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #39

REALLY. My questions exactly. cliffordu May 2012 #45

A Shau Valley ... 70-71 ... Lam Son 719 and Texas Star 11 Bravo May 2012 #48

Then you really don't know shit SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #34

Such a nice blanket statement... rexcat May 2012 #41

If his statement was true, that they "never go anywhere near flying bullets," no one would ever see AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #46

Your observation is shit. flvegan May 2012 #42

Really? My Grampy was in the Air Force. yewberry May 2012 #43

WTF...Really??? cliffordu May 2012 #44

I wish you would self-delete this post. I don't think it coalition_unwilling May 2012 #51

My dead uncle says different - lynne May 2012 #56

umm. The Battleship Missouri had a missle heading boilerbabe May 2012 #60

You observe badly. MineralMan May 2012 #61

That's why having real ones in government is good Warpy May 2012 #21

This message was self-deleted by its author Bucky May 2012 #5

The only way to stop sending the next generation into unnecessary and illegal wars AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #12

I also favor a return to universal military conscription as a way to promote coalition_unwilling May 2012 #52

All this one wants as well. cindyperry2010 May 2012 #13

This mornings NY Times had an article about an artist who does drawings of vets in VA hospital. jerseyjack May 2012 #20

This retired veteran SGMRTDARMY May 2012 #33

Thanks for giving me something to think about. geckosfeet May 2012 #4

Ditto! Maybe even something a bit stronger. - n/t coalition_unwilling May 2012 #53

Seems like those who do so are being awkward.... hlthe2b May 2012 #6

or given how much of the military is not actually providing a real service to the nation nt msongs May 2012 #8

I'm new to posting, so I'll try to contain my response to just a few words.. dadchef May 2012 #58

It's an odd thing. raouldukelives May 2012 #7

Well I am one of those vets that are irritated by the thanking ritual we have. zeemike May 2012 #9

+1,000,000,000 x 1,000,000,000 - n/t coalition_unwilling May 2012 #55

stop "thanking me for my service on Memorial Day" RGBII May 2012 #11

I'm bitter enough to say "I don't want your damn thanks." Rozlee May 2012 #14

+1 TomClash May 2012 #15

Thank you for cindyperry2010 May 2012 #17

The "thank you for your service" is an irritant. It's an echo of that publicity seeking, AnotherMcIntosh May 2012 #16

I agree. Whenever my veteran status comes up in mixed company, Aristus May 2012 #19

I usually do not tell people cindyperry2010 May 2012 #24

And when I lived in barracks somebody cindyperry2010 May 2012 #25

Everybody knows damn well the only reason they say it Mariana May 2012 #57

R#18 & K for, I *am* one of those who gets irritated and I like your points, too!1 n/t UTUSN May 2012 #22

I have told people when they said that... Bigmack May 2012 #23

Wow! RGBII May 2012 #28

Sad thing is when it comes down to really taking care of them rainbow4321 May 2012 #30

"A country that cannot take care of its existing veterans... alterfurz May 2012 #49

I understand perfectly what you mean tawadi May 2012 #38

Sons and daughters die fighting for the 1%. GeorgeGist May 2012 #47

Memorial Day is a day to read and perhaps recite out loud Lincoln's coalition_unwilling May 2012 #50

Well, I thank you for your service. Baitball Blogger May 2012 #54

I will defend to the death your right to be an ass slackmaster May 2012 #59