>>I guess I get “irked” too easy.
I served in the “post-Vietnam, but pre-Desert Storm” where enlisted people were assumed to be vandals, drunks, rapists, and thieves—and that was on-base! Off-base, the civilians thought even less of us.
So, I don’t mind being thanked for my service, unless it is by some sneering liberal who is saying it out of a sense of duty or by someone who feels the need to explain why he didn’t serve as part of the thanks. I really don’t care about their heart murmur, flat feet, or that arrow to the knee that ruined their career as an adventurer.
I’m the same generation as you, Bryan. I served mostly through the Carter years, and it was a thankless time to serve in the military. I don’t begrudge today’s military for getting some recognition. I get thanked more now for my service than I ever did when I was in.
Same here. Flat footed didn't used to get you rejected. My dad was flat footed, joined the Army Air Corps in '39. He got his GED later and ended up retiring as a Captain and a pilot. Flew B-25s, 47s, and 52s...
In the 60's, when you'd leave Camp Pendleton, you were "Service Trash"...