Posted on Dec 17, 2015
Things you should never say to a military veteran. Do you agree with this article?
75.9K
210
77
20
20
0
I have been asked a few of these questions myself. A couple of them I would laugh off, other I think are as personal as asking what my wife looked like naked. Do you guys agree with this list? Would you add to it?
http://www.rantpolitical.com/2015/03/13/things-you-should-never-say-to-a-military-veteran/?utm_campaign=RantLifestyleFB&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral
http://www.rantpolitical.com/2015/03/13/things-you-should-never-say-to-a-military-veteran/?utm_campaign=RantLifestyleFB&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=referral
Posted in these groups: 
Civilians
Civilians
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 44
48
48
0
I don't like the idea that some people feel that they need to walk on eggshells around a veteran, feel free to ask me any question you want. If you ask me how my wife looks naked I'll simply answer that she looks better than yours.
(48)
(0)
SrA Marlin Taylor
I've got to the point where I like to watch them cringe if the answer surprise them. Or if the question bothers me, I'll tell him it's none of their &$@!?&$? Business.
(1)
(0)
SGM (Join to see)
"Yeah, I killed a guy at work one time for asking stupid questions. It felt good. Anything else you want to ask me?"
(5)
(0)
SSG (Join to see)
If someone asks a question that is clearly inappropriate and a smart ass answer isn't going to make them go away, the old fall back is "Do I really need to explain to you why that is an inappropriate question?"
(0)
(0)
23
23
0
I think the list was put together by someone trying too hard.
Most of them (all but 3-4) were inane, and really no big deal, and the only 2 that really crossed the line (for me) were:
No. 14: Did any of your buddies die overseas?
No. 2: Did you ever kill anyone?
Everything else was just uninformed/ignorant.I'm not going to be offended by someone being ignorant.
Edit:Spelling
Most of them (all but 3-4) were inane, and really no big deal, and the only 2 that really crossed the line (for me) were:
No. 14: Did any of your buddies die overseas?
No. 2: Did you ever kill anyone?
Everything else was just uninformed/ignorant.I'm not going to be offended by someone being ignorant.
Edit:Spelling
(23)
(0)
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
SGM Steve Wettstein - Agree. And honestly, it should be a list of 2... maybe 3 incase I missed one.
(1)
(0)
SFC Chuck Martinez
They should have asked me that question Aaron, in the Vietnam war, General Westmoreland always wanted a body count of the enemy dead!!
(0)
(0)
14
14
0
The article is stupid. I'm getting tired of all the bullshit political correctness that has a lot of people walking on egg shells in order to not to offend anyone, whether it's the wrong Halloween costume or the wrong questions or whatever. Just because you're offended by something I've done, does not mean I've done anything to offend you. Get a thicker skin; life is just too short.
(14)
(0)
LTC Stephen Conway
maybe they are doing these rhetorical questions to get points for their overall status?
(1)
(1)
8
8
0
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
Not necessarily. I knew a couple folks that got turned away because of Asthma. But that was more of a "I tried to join" type of thing.
My wife & I were talking about one of the Marines she went to School of Music with. Found a heart issue while she was at the schoolhouse, less than a year in. Different issue, but it's crazy the amount of stuff that pops up.
My wife & I were talking about one of the Marines she went to School of Music with. Found a heart issue while she was at the schoolhouse, less than a year in. Different issue, but it's crazy the amount of stuff that pops up.
(0)
(0)
8
8
0
No. I have not had a problem with any questions...sometimes the question just make it easier for me to realize how uninformed the other person is...all those questions lean toward very uninformed.
(8)
(0)
COL Jon Thompson
MSG Brad Sand I agree and if we don't answer many of these, it lead to more divide between civilians and military which is not the healthiest thing.
(4)
(0)
MSG Brad Sand
COL Jon Thompson
Of course, we can add a look or sigh to help them learn how we really feel about the question but still give them the answer they were seeking.
Of course, we can add a look or sigh to help them learn how we really feel about the question but still give them the answer they were seeking.
(1)
(0)
5
5
0
Anytime anyone asked me if I ever killed anyone, I give 'em the Schwarzenegger line from True Lies,
"Yeah, but they were all bad."
"Yeah, but they were all bad."
(5)
(0)
LTC Stephen Conway
Book of Armaments. Chapter one.. paraphrased "Thou shalt count more than one and less than three but more than two!"
(0)
(0)
LTC Stephen Conway
LOL. I need to add this to my youtube...Knights of NEE and the bridge of death are also a riot!
(0)
(0)
LTC Stephen Conway
..and Life of Brian. 'The People's Front of Judea.., NO! the Judean People's Front!' LOL...
(0)
(0)
4
4
0
I wouldn't be offended by most of these. The questions about buddies dying and did I kill anyone I would are off limits as well as, "I almost joined... ." But the rest would not bother me. We need to have a connection to the people and perhaps they are trying to relate to us. I think if we are so standoffish that we don't want to share our military experiences, we add to the disconnect currently in our society. Some of the funny questions I do get from people is that they think I sit in the E-ring of the Pentagon and know everything that is going on. They will ask me questions that even if I knew the answer, I would not be able to share because of classification.
(4)
(0)
SGM (Join to see)
I always got questions about "My cousin is in the Army. I think he works with tanks. His name is Max Caldwell. Do you know him by chance?" Especially during the Gulf War - my Mom or Wife would write me and say "So and so wants to know if you've seen his brother Bob Crawford. He's in the 82nd Airborne, he thinks." Sure, I just saw the entire 82nd yesterday at breakfast. I remember Bob Crawford and I did ask him how he was doing. He had a slight cold last week, but is feeling much better this week." Sheesh, there were 750,000 of us there, spread out all over the freaking desert, but people figured we all saw each other all the time! Those questions drove me a little crazy.
When I came back from the Gulf, I did a lot of talks at elementary and middle schools. All the little girls wanted to know what we ate and how we got any sleep, if it was noisy, and things like that. The boys wanted to know if I'd killed anyone, and did I get to watch them die, and use my bayonet on them to disembowel them and stuff. They were all into the blood and gore stuff.
When I came back from the Gulf, I did a lot of talks at elementary and middle schools. All the little girls wanted to know what we ate and how we got any sleep, if it was noisy, and things like that. The boys wanted to know if I'd killed anyone, and did I get to watch them die, and use my bayonet on them to disembowel them and stuff. They were all into the blood and gore stuff.
(2)
(0)
COL Jon Thompson
SGM (Join to see) - I have had the same thing happen. It's like the Army is small town and we are all related in someway or another. Goes to show that people really do not understand the Army.
(2)
(0)
CPL Rob Stocker
I have NO idea.. I just saw it and it made me wonder why my peers would think of it.
(0)
(0)
3
3
0
Did you ever kill anyone should be #1 IMO. When I get asked that, I just want to punch the asker in the face....a couple of times. When people say thank you for your service I just think I didn't do it for you so what the hell are you thanking me for?
(3)
(0)
PO2 Nick Burke
You can always answer the 1st one with a smirk and ask if they would like to be next on the list.
As for the 2nd..... They may be sincere. My Mother and others say it and actually mean it. One father said it and when I shook his hand and said thank you he hugged me, and started crying. I soon found out his son did not.
As for the 2nd..... They may be sincere. My Mother and others say it and actually mean it. One father said it and when I shook his hand and said thank you he hugged me, and started crying. I soon found out his son did not.
(0)
(0)
3
3
0
No, I do not agree with this article.
This list, to include the reasons not to say them, is sometimes ridiculous, and beyond inane.
So, at number 1: when or why is a "Thank you for your service" comment to a veteran the wrong thing to do?
That statement, especially when given with a cup of coffee, is more and more meaningful to me.
Like many of the responses before this one, few of these listed statements should be verboten. We can think of worse things to say to a military veteran, and some of our Rallypoint members have had worse things said to them - but most of those inflammatory things should not be posted on-line.
This list, to include the reasons not to say them, is sometimes ridiculous, and beyond inane.
So, at number 1: when or why is a "Thank you for your service" comment to a veteran the wrong thing to do?
That statement, especially when given with a cup of coffee, is more and more meaningful to me.
Like many of the responses before this one, few of these listed statements should be verboten. We can think of worse things to say to a military veteran, and some of our Rallypoint members have had worse things said to them - but most of those inflammatory things should not be posted on-line.
(3)
(0)
SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
Colonel, I feel the thank You for Your service is the right thing to say, I don't think it even belongs on this list. That is not what I heard when I returned from Viet Nam and appreciate hearing that now. I sure wouldn't want the current younger Veterans to have things said to them that were said to us, they don't deserve it and neither did We.
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google