Posted on Nov 16, 2015
Do you think someone who has never been in a combat has the right to call themselves a veteran?
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Let me apologize in advance to the people who find this question insulting... I'm just wondering what other people who served viewpoint is.
I personally went many years before I broke down and got "Desert Storm" Veteran tags, and the "Veteran" identifier on my driver's license... I'm still not entirely convinced that I deserve the 101st patch on my right sleeve, for the most part all I did was fix helicopter engines in the sand.
I have a great friend that served in the Air Force, and never left CONUS.
I have a relative that served on Aircraft carriers before Vietnam.
Both proudly stand up when "Veteran's" are asked to at public gatherings, but I always feel strange standing up.
Legal definition of "veteran" aside (someone who served at least six months and received an honorable discharge). I'm wondering more about how those of us that served feel about the term.
When a civilian hears "Veteran" I get the impression that they think we all stormed the beaches at Normandy, and for the most part I was really bored, played Spades and Tetris on my Gameboy during Desert Storm.
Should someone who was in the military during the Vietnam conflict (but never in theater) be allowed "Vietnam Veteran" license plates?
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4", TSgt Hunter Logan , CH (MAJ) William Beaver , COL Ted Mc
I personally went many years before I broke down and got "Desert Storm" Veteran tags, and the "Veteran" identifier on my driver's license... I'm still not entirely convinced that I deserve the 101st patch on my right sleeve, for the most part all I did was fix helicopter engines in the sand.
I have a great friend that served in the Air Force, and never left CONUS.
I have a relative that served on Aircraft carriers before Vietnam.
Both proudly stand up when "Veteran's" are asked to at public gatherings, but I always feel strange standing up.
Legal definition of "veteran" aside (someone who served at least six months and received an honorable discharge). I'm wondering more about how those of us that served feel about the term.
When a civilian hears "Veteran" I get the impression that they think we all stormed the beaches at Normandy, and for the most part I was really bored, played Spades and Tetris on my Gameboy during Desert Storm.
Should someone who was in the military during the Vietnam conflict (but never in theater) be allowed "Vietnam Veteran" license plates?
SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4", TSgt Hunter Logan , CH (MAJ) William Beaver , COL Ted Mc
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Military service Purple Heart
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Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 358
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Every serviceman or woman took the same oath. Every serviceman or woman had the same probability of being selected and sent in harms way. Every serviceman or woman contributed to the capability and readiness of our armed forces even if they were just scrubbing toilets in the barracks at basic. Our services work best when we never forget that everyone plays a role whatever and wherever that role takes them. Making any distinction on the basis of what they did or where they did it does nothing to maintain or improve good order or esprit. I've worked a desk and I've had sand in my boots. I've seen the whole spectrum and I'll never take anything away from the contributions of those who were just as committed to the mission as our forward deployed troops.
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Whether you made me breakfast in theater, , fixed my vehicle at NTC, or walked patrol in my formation...The day you raised your right hand, followed through and completed Basic and AIT .. you are forever more a Vet.
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SPC David Hannaman
Your question is foolish and short sited. Find me one soldier who decided where they were going to go? Did you decide that you would fix helicopter engines in the sand? No. For those veterans who's serve you just disparaged, would they have gone to fix helicopter engines in the sand, if they were ordered? Maybe we should not consider someone a veteran unless they re-enlisted or at least made the rank of NCO? Of course not because you earn the right to stand at the public gatherings when they ask for veterans to stand when you roll the dice and take the oath to defend the Constitution.
Your question is foolish and short sited. Find me one soldier who decided where they were going to go? Did you decide that you would fix helicopter engines in the sand? No. For those veterans who's serve you just disparaged, would they have gone to fix helicopter engines in the sand, if they were ordered? Maybe we should not consider someone a veteran unless they re-enlisted or at least made the rank of NCO? Of course not because you earn the right to stand at the public gatherings when they ask for veterans to stand when you roll the dice and take the oath to defend the Constitution.
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I had a unique job that kept me stateside and supporting those across the world. I took pride in my service and the work I did. I will admit however, that I hold an amazing amount of respect towards those who have gone into combat. I also wont lie that I feel funny when I'm with my two best friends (both Marines who deployed), and people call us veterans or thank us. I always feel I should take a step back and let them be honored first, and that they deserve more of a thank you. Although I am very appreciative of thanks and benefits I wish they got more for what they did. I look up to them and these feelings along with current situations has me teetering on thoughts of rejoining.
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Absolutely! When the military is at war the whole military is at war, not just those who served in a combat zone. It take people to train those for combat, people to ship supplies to the combat theater, and people to serve in other strategic areas so they don't turn into tactical areas, as we did in Germany during the Vietnam war. It doesn't matter when your served, where you served, or what you did. The important thing is that you served!
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If you were on active duty and did not receive a BCD or dishonorable discharge you are a veteran. It does not matter if you ever saw combat, deployed to a combat zone, or even deployed at all. Serving honorably is what makes you a veteran.
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You are absolutely as much a veteran as I am and I went to Afghanistan as an infantryman. Don't second guess your service. You earned that title.
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SrA Greg Hardin
Yes, I agree. This is an attempt to discredit all the vets and save the govt money. Once the govt can stop calling the veterans as they are they can stop benefits for non veterans. All who took the oath deserve that status. I am a 100% sc wounded vet, wounded defending our country from a Nuclear strike but never saw conventional combat.
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Adolf Hitler reads Roosevelts letter before Reichstag
President Roosevelt of the United States sent Adolf Hitler a letter where he asked him to not attack any of the following countries, half of the countries wh...
Like myself, a lot of the people on RP are veterans of the Cold War. Everyone who sat on their sea bag at Brule, or tried to set up one of those triple-damned aluminum cots in a tent on a concrete pad somewhere, or tried to get to Tokyo on ‘Space-A’ for Christmas or got caught in an all-night raging sand storm at the EAF at 29 Palms (waving) is a veteran.
When the USSR collapsed back in 1989-90, I wrote a thing for the India. Company newsletter saying that every Marine and Sailor in the unit had helped defeat the USSR. Whatever tiny things we did, we all contributed. The Russians did not want any part of us. And when their archives were opened, they showed that the USSR wanted, as late as 1986, to attack into Western Europe. They had no workable options. We won the Cold War.
That remains, as I like to say, one of the great “what-not-ifs” of History. The Germans were willing to try the Brits and French on for size in 1940, they laughed at FDR’s call for peace and restraint.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqVc7kDtV_M
We beat the USSR, not without any loss of life at all of US service people, but at least without having to send Major Kong to the ICBM complex at Laputa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ynY5NvYsZY
Walt
When the USSR collapsed back in 1989-90, I wrote a thing for the India. Company newsletter saying that every Marine and Sailor in the unit had helped defeat the USSR. Whatever tiny things we did, we all contributed. The Russians did not want any part of us. And when their archives were opened, they showed that the USSR wanted, as late as 1986, to attack into Western Europe. They had no workable options. We won the Cold War.
That remains, as I like to say, one of the great “what-not-ifs” of History. The Germans were willing to try the Brits and French on for size in 1940, they laughed at FDR’s call for peace and restraint.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqVc7kDtV_M
We beat the USSR, not without any loss of life at all of US service people, but at least without having to send Major Kong to the ICBM complex at Laputa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ynY5NvYsZY
Walt
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Capt Walter Miller
I read just the other day that Slim Pickens was a late pick for the role of Major Kong. Some bigger star had to bow out. Pickens showed up on the set in England with a buckskin fringed jacket and a big cowboy hat. The Production crew was like - -WTF is this?
Walt
Walt
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you don't have to engage in combat to be a veteran, there is combat vet and regular vet. I think the fact of how long you served should determine whether you're a Vet or not . But what do i know lol
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I started out active duty army, switched to army national guard, then transferred to the air national guard, In February I will have 30 years total service without a break in service. I believe everyone who signed on the dotted line is a veteran. However, as of today, if any member of the national guard, Army or Air has only been to basic training and then to their technical schools and PME and never served on active duty outside of training and schools they are by law not considered a veteran, they don't get to put veterans preference on job applications nor do they qualify for VA loans. So, while I consider everyone to be a veteran, legally some who took the oath are not considered veterans, and to me that is BS.
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