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A lot of that has to do with the young people playing accurate simulation games...

I agree

<confession>
Omaha Beach in Medal of Honor was awesomely intense - i must have died 50 times before i made it to the beach, another dozen deaths on the beach before i made it to the wall, and another half-dozen deaths trying to clear the Nazi fortress - and that was on the Easy difficulty setting! The opening scene of the battle is straight out the front of a troopship, just like in the WWII footage. Spooky, and scary, and stirring - that game level left a lasting impression on me; a permanent elevated level of appreciation and admiration for the Greatest Generation

in Call of Duty - or maybe it was MoH - Pacific Assault, the first real mission is Pearl Harbor. You start at the naval base, being given a tour as this is your first assignment after basic training, when the Zeros fly over and let loose. I found - much to my surprise, as I am not an emotional kind of guy - that I was screaming at the animated planes [i shot down a dozen with a tommy-gun, though that is probably not realistic it was certainly satisfying] while running to my boat, and had tears on my face by the time the level finally ended. I have never been so affected by a game before or since.
</confession>

These effects are permanent - though I always respected the military, this boosted that respect sky-high. I now make a point of thanking every member of the military that I meet. Whenever possible, I look them in the eye and say "Thank you", and shake their hand. I never have to explain why; they know.

I've never played the games you talk about.

I DO insist that my sons (3 and 5) tell every soldier they meet in a store or the mall, or the airport, or whereever we meet them, "Thank you for keeping me free, sir." (Or "Ma'am" if it's a female soldier.) I never have to explain to the soldier. They always know why.

I do have to explain to my wife. And I tell her I will continue to teach my children the utmost respect for the military until someone drags the last dying breath from my body.

Paul