Does it bother you to hear "Thank you for your service!"?

I'm a Nam Vet, and lifer...I spent 20 years in uniform on active duty. The first time someone said thank you to me was in a boarders book store, about 10 years after I retired. A young black woman approached me and asked me if I was a Viet Nam veteran...when I acknowledged that yes, I was, she thanked me for my service and kissed me on the cheek...I had tears in my eyes...after all the bad words, feelings, and hatred for the past 20 + years, I was very moved. Never knew the young lady's name, but her kindness and sincerity were more then welcome. For you youngsters, appreciate and accept the thanks. When we returned from Nam, we were not thanked, we were spit on, ridiculed, badmouthing and outcast. Be thankful that you are appreciated and be grateful for the words and thanks of anyone and everyone.

I say Thank You to anyone who thanks me for my service. It doesn't bother me to hear it and it actually feels good to be recognized. Inherently, I think anyone who says Thank You to me is sincere and good hearted. I haven't received one negative remark from anyone hearing I served my country...only positive. Plus, it sparks a friendly conversation.

Doesn't bother me. I actually appreciate it. On veteran's day my church plays each branch's song and asks vets of that branch to stand a be recognized. I think it's a nice touch.

anything is better what came in the 60's and early 70's butas someone pointed out lately we took an oath to protect and defend which had a start date but NO END DATE I think most would still protect and defend

I think it's ok to thank a vet like that but my question is why did it take us getting attacked before vets got thanked for what they have done

It is good that Americans are thanking their service men and women for their service to their country even though they volunteered to do so. It was an honor for me to serve this great country and I am privileged to do so as retired soldier today. It means they have finally come to accept the sacrifices we service members make in their behalf.

The thank you's did not come when I returned from Vietnam back in 1972 at 19 years old. It took several wars or skirmishes for this to have happened. You had Grenada and Panama which were for causes that most Americans supported and then you had the first Gulf War to get Saddam out of Kuwait. It was only after that point that the thank you's started coming and rightfully so.

As for this retired Vietnam vet, I am still pissed at the way the media treated Vietnam veterans; baby killers and drug addicts we were called to say the least. In fact my own future father in law, a Greatest Generation veteran even asked me whether i killed any babies or whether I am a drug addict or not. I was dumbfounded and did not know how to respond to the question at the time other than to deny it which was the truth. We were so young and only doing our jobs; whether we enlisted as I did with my twin brother or we were perhaps drafted as were millions of others men.

Like some, who will never forget what Jane Fonda did, I will never forget how a generation of soldiers were treated as the hands of the press! And I do believe it was the press who enabled Americans to treat their returning soldiers in the manner that they did.

It really depends on the context. If a young person goes to the effort to walk over to me and say those words (usually, but not always at the prompting of their parents), I go out of my way to respond with deep appreciation. If someone says those words with even the slightest bit of sincerity, I do feel good about it and try to be gracious.

Where those words make me want to respond with with indignity is when they are said as if they are being read from a script. No where have I heard that kind of expression more than at Department of Veterans Affairs facilities. During my orientation at the Austin VA Outpatient Clinic, for example, the administrator leading the session uttered those words no less than 4 times, and each and every time it sounded like it was being read.

I'd just as soon not have to hear it uttered by someone who couldn't give a flying flip whether or not I served. We used to have a saying in the National Guard...if it wasn't for the drilling Guardsmen, the AGR full time force wouldn't have a job. I can only hope that that the new DVA leadership will work to institutionalize that understanding within the Civil Servant work force at VA facilities.

No, makes me feel a little better that my service wasn't in vain

I think it is an honor to be recognize and I thank them back. I especially go out of my way to thank a Vietnam Vet for their service for which they did not receive a correct welcome when they came back. I had the honor couple years ago when flying to Alaska that I sat next to a WWII veteran and was in awe when he told me his stories that he had during the war. He and his wife (he was in his 90's) was celebrating their 60th anniversary and doing the trip (boat cruise, train ride). They were from Florida.

No. It doesn't bother me. I'm very humble, but when I see my sons thank those who are serving now and stop and thank them, I'm proud that they recognize those that keep them safe. "YO,JOE!" REALLY? When ANYONE thanks you for your service, in my opinion, they mean it sincerely..
NUMEROUS Vets came back with no thanks (I'm not one of them) - but there are numerous VETS who served and NEVER got a THANK YOU - those vets (again, not me) kept those that kept us all safe until I became a Vet (again - I state I wasn't in a war zone), but why would that bother you?