Posted on 11/04/2015 12:39:13 AM PST by pboyington
Since 9-11, and the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been an out-pouring, almost a hemorrhaging of support for the troops. From yellow ribbon and American flag car magnets to endless media coverage of the military; the public it seems, is in love with the troops. There are endless tributes to the military at sporting events and the term, “thank you for your service†has become as common as “Merry Christmas.â€
But, is the public really in love with the military? Do they really support the troops? Do they even care? Is saying thank you for your service and a car magnet, some kind of psychological Band-Aid for the majority of Americans who will never serve and have no desire to serve? Is this their idea of true patriotism?
Are “support the troops†and “thank you for your service,†just hollow phrases, or worse have they become clichés?
During World War II, 16.1 million Americans served in the Armed Forces. The country was mentally, spiritually and physically behind the war effort 110%. Everyone had some vested interest in the nation’s participation in the global conflict. If you would have told a soldier back in 1944, “Thank you for your service,†he would have politely said, “Well, thanks, but everyone is serving.†And, everyone practically was.
The Vietnam War was a different story entirely. In many ways, it was the beginning of the giant schism in American society between the military and the public. Even though there was a draft, wealthy kids could stay in college on deferment after deferment, while others who couldn’t afford college or who didn’t have the brains or the desire to attend a university, were subject to the draft and a ticket to Southeast Asia.
The result: a gigantic cultural divide between the mainly blue collar military and the public who gradually began to blame the war on the troops and began to lash out at the brave men who fought in Vietnam.
Fifteen years after Saigon fell, the US military found itself in another conflict. During the Gulf War, the American public renewed its love affair with the troops, by lavishing them with countless care packages, Any Serviceman Letters and boxes of sunscreen. As the packages arrived, the Vietnam vets looked on in silence. They didn’t know what to think of this outpouring of love by the public. As one Vietnam vet said to me in the desert, “Enjoy it now, cause they can turn on you any minute.â€
But, the American public didn’t turn on the military. The victory in Desert Storm was also a soul cleansing for the public’s treatment of the troops during the Vietnam War. Through our victory in the Gulf War, the country had finally made peace with the Vietnam veterans.
While the public now loved the military again, their love didn’t go so far as actually joining the military.
Today, in 2015, only seven percent of the current population or roughly 22 million people are veterans. Less than one percent of the nation currently serves in either the active duty military or the reserves or National Guard. And, only 1.1 million World War II veterans are still with us.
The schism between the military and the public that began during the Vietnam War is bigger than ever.
For too many Americans, the military is something completely off limits, something for other people to do and to experience. Many baby boomer parents, who have invested twenty years in coddling their millennial kids, have no desire to send them into the military, when college beckons.
The public has almost a schizophrenic view of the military. On one hand, most people have no interest or desire to serve, yet most Americans claim that they “support the troops.â€
But…
Supporting the troops means more than standing at attention with a bucket of KFC during the National Anthem.
Supporting the troops means more than having a yellow ribbon or US flag magnet on your car.
Supporting the troops means more than watching Apache gunship footage on You Tube and fantasizing that you’re experiencing combat.
Supporting the troops means doing things like volunteering to help wounded vets or working for veterans’ organizations.
Supporting the troops means getting to know people in the military or veterans. Many employers say they love hiring veterans, but in truth, many hiring managers are scared of vets. They think all vets have PTSD. Nothing could be further from the truth. Lack of knowledge about the military by the public breeds ignorance. I remember applying for a job as mortgage broker. The hiring manager accidentally CC’d me on an email she sent her boyfriend with my resume attached. She told her boyfriend that, “This guy’s military background is really scary.†Obviously, to the public, having served in Army Intelligence must be a show stopper. If the public knew anything about the military, which they don’t, she would have known that Army Intelligence is more like MASH, and rarely ever like the Bourne Identity. Needless to say, I never got an interview there…
Supporting the troops means having some respect for the dead on Memorial Day weekend and not treating it like it’s just a four day boating and barbecue extravaganza.
Finally, supporting the troops means asking what you can do for your country. If you don’t want to be on active duty, then join the reserves or the National Guard, or even the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Work for the USO. Do something. This country is not a 24/7 free ride of endless Kardashian episodes and Nintendo games.
Veterans are the buffer zone, the middlemen and women, who can and should educate civilians about the military and more importantly about service to this country.
Only then, when the public is educated about the military or has some link to it, will “support the troops†and “thank you for your service†become more than just empty platitudes.â€
Only in the sense that it isn’t even close to what vets deserve to be treated like, society should give a pass to vets everywhere.
In the final analysis, maybe it all comes down to the question, “Why am I here and why am I fighting?”
If that is the case, the most common answer tends to be, “I’m fighting for my buddy beside me and the guys in the next hole.”
If someone says to me thank you for your service, I get a little embarrassed. Hell, all I did was drink beer and chase frauleins in Germany back when Jesus was a Corporal. But I will take the thanks in the spirit it was given. Heck I have even gotten thanks from vets that came back from the real sh*t in the sandbox. I thanked them!
Heck at least someone is recognizing that you took time out from your life to do something that they did’t do. So fellow vets, my advice is to take whatever you can get these days. If folks want to thank you, just nod and say thank you back and keep marching forward and not worry if it is heartfelt enough, or if the person saying it is patriotic enough.
At least they aren’t spitting at you...
I receive a lot of “Thank yous”, never once have I concluded them to be insincere. I am especially impressed with the young people I interact with. They actually tend to prolong their conversation...and I am grateful for their comments.
I know if gunfire started coming my way, I wouldn’t be thinking about defending freedom and liberty for all, I’d be thinking I’d better duck and I need new underwear!!!
Vets are an incredible bunch.
The only time I felt real fear was after 9/11, I was working in Rock Plaza and the announcement came out that a toxin was put in the air vents and we were locked down. It was a terrible stomach sinking feeling.
Do Vets feel this at all times in War? If they do, they are MUCH better man than I am and my poultry contribution to their welfare needs to be upped.
CUT welfare and SNAP except for the Neediest and send the money to our soldiers!!
Me talking:
I can't say I've done much at all for the military. I can remember sending one care package several years back...it was through some site that gave you a choice of whom and where to send. I think it was Afghanistan where it got sent. It was fun to gather items from a list of approved and needed things, and forward them on. I'm sure they still have such organizations so this is probably a good reminder for me to check into it again.
And then last Thanksgiving, I made 4 pies and took them over to the nearby Veteran's Home. Other than those two things, that's it!!!
I love my country, but I'm not self-sacrificing. I'm not a hero. That's the truth. I do appreciate what others have done in our history...Americans and the British. I'm interested in their stories. I was always interested in what my dad had to say. Even though my dad has pretty severe dementia at this point, my oldest son said not too long back, my dad could still relate some of his war stories to him. My two sons were dropped off from Boy Scouts Tuesday night by a granddad to a troop mate. He was in Korea and Vietnam. They were his car, outside the house, for quite a bit listening to his war stories. They both really enjoyed it.
My dad was in the Army Air Corps for 1 year and then the Air Force. He signed up when he was 17 in 1947. He signed up 'cause he had no other options to be quite honest. I'm sure he would say the same. He was very poor. He grew up during the Depression. He was raised by a single, alcoholic mom. She died when he was 16. He wanted to get out of the town he was in that had absolutely no path to anything that he could see. I think the cotton mill was about the best you could do at the time there. I know he tried to lie about his age so he could get into WWII, but a person in town ratted him out to the recruiter. So he was caught up in that fervour to serve his country to whatever extent during that time. He was only 15 when he lied trying to join, but he had to wait a couple more years.
He was in the military during Korea, but he didn't have to go there. He was in Vietnam.
I know he had some not so nice things to say about the military over the years. He saw a lot of what he thought was stupidity from people and the overall mindset. But it was a good path for him having only made it to 6th grade in school. He got his high school equivalency and was trained for the fire department which he did for his full career and also in civil service after he retired from the military in 1968. He worked up to Fire Chief. My three older brothers all went into the Air Force upon graduation in the 1970s. They had no choice. My dad made them. The oldest stuck around an extra year waiting for the second oldest to get out after 4 years so they could team up and room together. And my third oldest brother also got out after 4 years. All three of them hated it.
I first came in after the Vietnam war. All of my leaders I got to emulate were the Vietnam vets. It's probably why I can't stand the 60’s hippies. It was sort of transferred from my first leaders who blamed them for the main reason they were not allowed to win the Vietnam war. After we came back from the first Gulf War is when I noticed a change in the public’s attitude towards the military. Before then, no one really cared.
If I have one beef, it is somewhat alluded to in the article. Because most of America does not have any stake in the military or what's going on, they don't understand the gravity of the situation right now. Even though Obama said he was going to end the war in Iraq the enemy has a say in the matter. This war has never ended, it has metastasized. We are still in the same war now it's just that America does not realize it. America needs to make the sacrifices needed to end this conflict and it has not yet. We are going on in this pseudo war forever until we get a commander in chief who can rally the American people to get the job done!
Might have hated it, I sure did. But when the ball went up they would have served and probably did the best job they could. Even I went in because of no other options, but the military, and becoming a Christian, changed me. The military made me into a man, and Christ made me into a man worth being.
It isn’t for everybody, but the voluntary military has been a massive blessing for this country in the long run.
While this starts with a worthy intent it ends with hopelessness. This is all too familiar. This is commie stuff from the last century.
Liberals mouth phrases “Support the troops” to provide cover for their true leftist beliefs and their dislike for nationalism, the military, weapons and Americanism in general.
During and after Vietnam they showed their real feelings about the military and eventually that backfired on them.
So now they say the words and pretend to support the military as a form of insurance.
Don’t forget that many of the most influential leftists of today are the same people who spat on the military and blew up police stations back in the 1960’s.
THey haven’t changed their core beliefs, they have just developed ways of hiding them.
Right it’s a Mom or whatever. Sure. Well everything is fubar now and that isn’t good enough for the enemy.
The enemy is us when we are infested with them. Then they take the higher moral ground. Putin sees it and we should know what is going on.
This sucks in many ways. You see it.
People say to me, “Thank you for your service” all the time. Someone at the security station on post said it to me yesterday, when I was getting a temporary pass to go on post because I had forgotten my ID card.
If I remember, I say, “And thank you for your support!” Usually, I don’t remember, so I just say “Thank you!”
I think that military personnel get a lot of support. Many businesses offer military discounts—I went to a Burger King drive through the other day, and when I got up to the window to pay, the clerk saw me and said “Oh, military!” and gave me a HUGE discount on the order. Every Hard Rock Cafe I have visited gives military discounts.
The fact that most people have not served and have no personal experience of service is not going to change. Only a limited number of people can join, and with the services drawing down, that number is decreasing. OTOH, the military can afford to be very picky about whom it allows to join—for the most part, only the best get in. I can truly say that I have never worked with a bad soldier (or airman or sailor).
You folks are doing a good job. Rt etc. Remember, if we weren’t at each other’s throat all the time, good things happen. What you sow, you will reap and short sighted will lose wonderful food supply. You need to watch out for China. They are going first.
True - And one of the most significant downsides to the voluntary military.
There used to be a significant number of vets, including combat vets, as teachers, professors, state and federal senators and representatives, and in a wide varriety of other influential civilian and governmental positions.
That number has shrunk to where there are now very few vets in those positions - most especially in academia and the government.
When Obama came into office he spoke of people "having skin in the game" in another context. But today fewer and fewer elitists, industry leaders and government officials really do have skin in the game when it comes to the military.
We have declined from a nation where a military man like Dwight Eisenhower could be elected president to one where a spineless American hater like Obama uses Marines to tote his umbrella.
You realize what this is. We are to expel at the foot of a post who only wants our energy here. There is war and they know our language. Please understand this.
Imagine being one of the 50 special forces Obie is sending to Syria to fight off Ivan and Assad, and tasked to help the ISISholes.
Obama supports our troops...
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