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

It wouldn't even be an issue if serving was a common thing

It has always bothered me. It creates an awkward situation that (to me) is a lot like opening a present at Christmas. When I joined, I never considered the possibility that I would spend the rest of my life being thanked for my service. The problem is: how do you respond to something like that?

My response has become: "Thank you for your support." or "Your support makes/made my job easier." or something to that affect.

I am a firm believer that we need to foster and support the general public's need to be thankful for us. That gratitude is more than just words. It translates into supportive legislature and funding that the military will always continue to need to survive.

It is a Cliché designed to make the majority of the American public feel better about themselves and appease any quilt that they might have about really not giving a crap about our serving military or the country's veterans. As a retired Military Officer and VietNam vet it holds about a s much water as when someone of my generation says "Welcome Home". That saying is equally appalling to me. I haven't forgotten and never will how even the veterans organizations wanted nothing to do with the VietNam vet. We were portrayed as Drug smoking, baby killing, psychotic dishonorable losers. Think about movies like "Rambo, The deer hunter", Apocalypse " and Platoonand what they did to reinforce those stereotypes. Fast forward to American Sniper and how it is now being attacked by the same type of people who dishonored a generation of Vietnam Veterans. You can take both sayings and "shove"em"

Yes! Coming home from Vietnam people spit on us and called us baby killers. You can respond to that in any number of ways. The government threw us away with "DOWNSIZING." Our services were not needed any more. Most were able to deal with that slap in the face. Businesses would not hire us due to a lack of useful skills. Not much call for professional gunfighters. Now people come up to us on the street and say "Thank you for your service." How the hell do you respond to that. While probably not the intention, it almost sounds like another slap in the face.

My boss says it to me every Veterans day, and I get it just about anytime it comes up in a conversation and I always respond with, "you are welcome." I find myself doing the same thing whenever I run into personnel still in uniform. It's an acknowledgement that you appreciate the sacrifice the service member is doing. As "they" say, "Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."

I came home from Viet Nam in November 1967. Landed at Travis, and transported by bus to San Francisco International Airport for my final leg home. I got off the bus in uniform, and was accosted by a group of protesters, one of whom spit on me and called me a "baby killer". I have never forgotten that, and the lingering feeling that I no longer fit into mainstream American society. We were outcasts who were hated by a large part of society. Now, some 48 years later, we are being thanked for our service, primarily by people who would have been the offspring of the scum bags that spit on us. Its nice to be thanked, and helps close the life long wounds, but the scars still remain.

I say it all the time and I'm a fellow vet. Especially nowadays, as the military is voluntary, the percentage of the population that hears the call and answers it deserves the recognition.

I wouldn't say it bothers me. I become a little emotional about it, as so many have done so much more than me that I don't always feel comfortable with being thanked. But then it would take to much time to explain that, so I simply say thank you, or it was my honor and move on..

Hell no It doesn't bother me. when I was in 1971 to 1975 we were treated like crap. Now that our service men and wemen are getting thanked, we should never want more or better praise.

i appreciate it every time i hear it!