It's not anything to go crazy about but very few of us who did serve with the infantry made in back in one piece. I just wrote down 20 or so of my friends on a card for today's prayers at church and I don't even remember the names of a tenth of them that were killed. Every single day that goes by, I am in moderate to severe pain from my bullet-shattered leg.
I was jeered when I got back, refused rides hitchhiking, refused service in restaurants and a beautiful young women spat in my face.
I do admire you, that you served, but don't get resentful if I tell you that combat service is something unique and horrible and lonely.
That is understood and only you know it for yourself. That said, all of us signed a contract to let them do what they would with us up to an including getting us killed. And there are a bunch of ways to get killed in the military in and out of combat zones. Thanks for your service too.
Unfortunately I didn’t serve but my dad, uncle and two brothers have. My mom was a military brat. I support vets because of what my family has done.