rps Posted November 12, 2022 Posted November 12, 2022 I am a former National Guardsman. In my mind that does not make me a veteran. The Veterans parade in Tulsa, despite the best efforts of people I know and respect, is lame. No way am I going to the breakfast at the VFW post. On Fridays I always meet a small group of like age gentlemen for breakfast at 10:00. One other of the group was a reservist. This morning, as we solved world problems after eating, a gentleman and his wife came in for early lunch. He was wearing a hat commemorating his naval service during the VN era. Our table figured the least we could do was buy their lunch anonymously. Guess how we felt. BilletHead and TRRANGER 2
BilletHead Posted November 12, 2022 Posted November 12, 2022 6 hours ago, rps said: I am a former National Guardsman. In my mind that does not make me a veteran. The Veterans parade in Tulsa, despite the best efforts of people I know and respect, is lame. No way am I going to the breakfast at the VFW post. On Fridays I always meet a small group of like age gentlemen for breakfast at 10:00. One other of the group was a reservist. This morning, as we solved world problems after eating, a gentleman and his wife came in for early lunch. He was wearing a hat commemorating his naval service during the VN era. Our table figured the least we could do was buy their lunch anonymously. Guess how we felt. Thanks "We have met the enemy and it is us", Pogo If you compete with your fellow anglers, you become their competitor, If you help them you become their friend" Lefty Kreh " Never display your knowledge, you only share it" Lefty Kreh "Eat more bass and there will be more room for walleye to grow!" BilletHead " One thing in life is for sure. If you are careful you can straddle the barbed wire fence but make one mistake and you will be hurting" BilletHead P.S. "May your fences be short or hope you have long legs" BilletHead
tjm Posted November 12, 2022 Posted November 12, 2022 I am a Vietnam Era Veteran, but not a Vietnam Veteran, that was my Bronze Star older brother and some of my classmates. The difference in my mind is that I fought that war in places like the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the North Sea ect. and was never "in country". I believe the VFW is reserved for those that actually served in the combat zones, while the American Legion is open to all. I spent the day at home sorting fly reels and lines, thank you. I do recall the People spitting on anyone in uniform and cussing us in public places, airports in particular. And each time someone says "thank you for your service" I ask what branch they were in. I remember the movie star taking the photo op in the POW camp too ... Nice of you all to buy the meal, I had a few different couples buy my supper when I was on active duty and all those nice folks had a son or grandson in the service or had lost one.
rps Posted November 12, 2022 Author Posted November 12, 2022 I mis-spoke. I meant to say American Legion. About the "lame." I do not know why, but the event here is not even as good as the ones I attended in Eureka Springs with my 8th grade.
tho1mas Posted November 12, 2022 Posted November 12, 2022 rps- If you were man enough to wear the U.S. uniform you are a veteran. In one stroke of someones pen you could have been sent anywhere in the world.(during six years of your life) TRRANGER, BilletHead and tjm 2 1
Carl1969 Posted November 12, 2022 Posted November 12, 2022 Served breakfast down at the Mason Lodge to mostly Vietnam & Korea era vets. One or 2 salty old WW2 bubbas as well. Always fun to swap war stories with the old silverbacks & it's nice to give back to the community. I enlisted in the Cold War Army & retired from the "Global War on Terror" Army & despite my best efforts, I missed out on every single conflict from Panama on & that with the 2nd half of my career on jump status as a PSYOPer. Always a case of my unit either not being sent, or deploying after accepting a different assignment. Did a lot of janky, plain clothes, classified stuff in Africa, but even being actively sought & targeted by the booger eaters, never once was I in a legit combat zone. I got orders authorizing wear of a combat patch for a central African boondoggle right before I retired, but never wore it. Too many friends saw the elephant up close & not all of them came home & I'd feel like a poseur for wearing a combat patch, like I was claiming something I hadn't earned. I've never been one of those "you're welcome for my service" dipwads. Maybe I endured & did some whacky, sometimes not fun stuff, but nobody made me do it. Hell, the Army paid for 2 college degrees & most of a third, enabled me to buy 3 houses & got to see the world on Uncle Sugar's nickel. I had a blast & the Army was the best vehicle available for me to escape my hyper-toxic home environment. So, yeah. I appreciate the sentiment, but it makes me uncomfortable to be thanked for my service. If a retailer offers a military discount, I will gladly take advantage of it, but I've never once partaken of any of the "vets eat free" deals on Veteran's Day. To be fair, I am very socially awkward & self conscious & compliments & gifts/freebies just make me really uncomfortable. Maybe it's also that for me, it's more a sense of personal accomplishment & self satisfaction- I did what I did for myself & my self alone. tjm 1
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