A few words.

[sloasdaylight]

Today in line at Subway while I was getting lunch there were two people with me in line. The woman in front of me was having her first and only son shipped off to Afghanistan in the next week. The gentleman behind me was a Master Sergeant in the US Army. I started talking to the Sgt. and I found out that he'd served 46 years in the Army via either active duty or reserve duty. He'd been in the reserves for 21 years before he was recalled in 2006. I took a moment to thank them both for their sacrifices and went on my way, definitely changed for the better.


To everyone out there whose served in our Military, or has had family serve, I just want to extend a very heartfelt,
Thank You.

[becker4567]

As a Vietnam vet........thank you!

[Relic]

I could not agree more - thank you all to the men and women who are, or have served. And thank you also to their families who have to endure their absence.
God bless.

[totallyfrozen]

Thanks.

[IPA]

I'm not sure what to thank them for? What are they doing in Iraq right now anyway...

[Fretless1!]

Originally Posted by IPA

I'm not sure what to thank them for? What are they doing in Iraq right now anyway...

They are serving thier country.

Anyway, thank you, vets! We are in your debt.

[Relic]

Originally Posted by IPA

I'm not sure what to thank them for? What are they doing in Iraq right now anyway...

Can I ask you a favor? Your opinion is valid and I respect it, but please keep this sort of thing out of this thread? No need to turn a thread thanking service men and women into a political soon-to-be-locked mess. I ask this respectfully.

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by Fretless1!

They are serving thier country.

Anyway, thank you, vets! We are in your debt.

Let's not get this too off tangent, but for the record I find that reasoning to be pathetically flimsy.

I also think that there's much less reason to thank members of the armed forces since we no longer conscript people.

Did you thank your Subway sandwich maker for doing a good job too?

[Relic]

Oh here we go... OK, let's fully abolish our armed forces since the rest of the world is soooo friendly and understanding, while we are inherently evil and our sole purpose for having a military is to bomb civilians. /sarcasm

Without service members, past and present we would likely be in a world of shite right now. How hard is that to understand?

EDIT - *sigh* lost it for a second there. Sorry folks, I just feel extremely strongly about this. Honestly, it just kills me that there can't even be a thread thanking someone without someone poking in and questioning it... why??????
If you disagree, then just stay out of it. Or maybe start another thread explaining why we should not appreciate servicemen and women..

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

Let's not get this too off tangent, but for the record I find that reasoning to be pathetically flimsy.

I also think that there's much less reason to thank members of the armed forces since we no longer conscript people.

Did you thank your Subway sandwich maker for doing a good job too?

whoa.....dude,you can't be serious

[coolrunner989]

Originally Posted by Relic

Without service members, past and present we would likely be in a world of shite right now. How hard is that to understand?

Not hard at all. But I do understand the viewpoint of people who don't think that it is necessary for some arbitrary reason to support the troops. They signed up for it (a noble thing, but not necessary - again, we don't have a draft). Do you thank the person who signs up to do every other dangerous/hazardous/unwanted job in this country? There are plenty of those.

Just because someone is doing a job well doesn't entitle them to recognition and thanks for it if you don't like the job being done or why it is being done, whether it be 'defending' the country, as some say, or not.

On the other hand, servicemen and women put their lives on the line for yours and mine, which is far more than I can say I've done. They get my respect and admiration for that.

Btw, I am in a family of 4 servicemen and I considered it myself for a short while, this is nothing against them personally. And I am not saying we do not need an armed force, we definitely do.

[becker4567]

Wait a minute folks. Lets not get into a political/idealogical battle here. Regardless of how you feel about wars past and present, the service people have nothing to do with starting them or how they are run. They are young kids that are trying to do their best in horrible situations while desperately trying to maintain some sense of humanity and ethics, and for that, they deserve a big thanks. I can tell you from experience, there is no politics in a firefight. You don't care who is in charge of the White House or what party the guy next to you is in, only that you want him (and you) to be around to eat dinner that night. Please, don't take out your political hostility out on someone who is doing a dirty job in your name (whether you agree with that job or not).

[Deluge Of Sound]

Originally Posted by Relic

Oh here we go... OK, let's fully abolish our armed forces since the rest of the world is soooo friendly and understanding, while we are inherently evil and our sole purpose for having a military is to bomb civilians. /sarcasm

I don't get any more intellectual credit than that?

Without service members, past and present we would likely be in a world of shite right now. How hard is that to understand?

Its an unprovable hypothetical. We could go back and forth about it all day... which is not to say I disagree with you, but...

Originally Posted by Jim Campbell

whoa.....dude,you can't be serious

Hyperbole is harder to get across in text. Let me clarify my position:

Being a serviceman or woman is a job, you sign up for it, you do your thing, you get out with a good pension and a system set up to take care of you (assuming, of course, you get out alive).

Personally, I don't see the average soldier as deserving of any more praise than the average janitor, the average toll-booth worker, etc. They're just doing their job. If your job entails you going somewhere on the behest of politicians, that sucks, but it doesn't automatically entitle you to adoration.

Don't misunderstand my point: I'm all for respecting soldiers who have demonstrated their honor and heroics. However, I'll give you two examples of people who I don't respect more as they've served in the armed forces:

One, a friend of mine who was in the Marines. He spent his two tours in Japan. He wasn't protecting my freedom while he was in Japan, he was a combat training instructor.

Another one--A current Army friend of mine. He's never left the country... should I automatically turn around and thank him for that?

EDIT-Looks like Coolrunner got to my point before I could.

Also, Becker, no one is trying to demean soldiers who have seen combat.

[coolrunner989]

Originally Posted by becker4567

Wait a minute folks. Lets not get into a political/idealogical battle here. Regardless of how you feel about wars past and present, the service people have nothing to do with starting them or how they are run. They are young kids that are trying to do their best in horrible situations while desperately trying to maintain some sense of humanity and ethics, and for that, they deserve a big thanks. I can tell you from experience, there is no politics in a firefight. You don't care who is in charge of the White House or what party the guy next to you is in, only that you want him (and you) to be around to eat dinner that night. Please, don't take out your political hostility out on someone who is doing a dirty job in your name (whether you agree with that job or not).

True, and very good points. I would never go off on a political rant on a soldier just coming back.

I just don't like seeing people who don't agree with everybody else and holding back being crucified, so I was playing a little devil's advocate.

[Gard]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

Let's not get this too off tangent, but for the record I find that reasoning to be pathetically flimsy.

I also think that there's much less reason to thank members of the armed forces since we no longer conscript people.

Did you thank your Subway sandwich maker for doing a good job too?

So, let me get this straight:

Because someone CHOOSES to sacrifice to ensure your ability to question that sacrifice, you don't owe that individual a debt of gratitude?

A volunteer serviceperson deserves your thanks far moreso thank does a conscript - the volunteer CHOSE to do this for us, and "us" includes "you".

The political decisions that lead a servicemember to end up serving in a particular place are in no way, shape, or form the choice of that individual, they merely volunteered to protect our (and that includes YOUR) ability to sit at a computer and snarkily question the validity of their choice to make such a sacrifice.

Think about it.

Oh, and by the way, I make it a POINT to thank the person that does anything for me - including the sandwich maker at Subway - whenever I have that opportunity. Being polite to those around us is a skill that it seems very few these days understand.

Joining with those that get it: I thank all present, past, and future servicemembers for their sacrifice, and all of their families for the sacrifice they make.

[IPA]

Originally Posted by becker4567

Wait a minute folks. Lets not get into a political/idealogical battle here. Regardless of how you feel about wars past and present, the service people have nothing to do with starting them or how they are run. They are young kids that are trying to do their best in horrible situations while desperately trying to maintain some sense of humanity and ethics, and for that, they deserve a big thanks. I can tell you from experience, there is no politics in a firefight. You don't care who is in charge of the White House or what party the guy next to you is in, only that you want him (and you) to be around to eat dinner that night. Please, don't take out your political hostility out on someone who is doing a dirty job in your name (whether you agree with that job or not).

Were they drafted to the firefight? Should I hold them less accountable for their actions because they don't score as high on a moral responsibility scale?

[drteeth]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

I also think that there's much less reason to thank members of the armed forces since we no longer conscript people.

Why is involuntary sacrifice valued higher than voluntary sacrifice? Is the gift given not the same?

EDIT: Gard beat me to it, PLUS ONE there.

And for the record: why should we not be grateful for the janitor doing a good job?

[Deluge Of Sound]

To Gard and teeth, did you read my other post?

[drteeth]

Originally Posted by Deluge Of Sound

To Gard and teeth, did you read my other post?

I did not. Now that I did: I agree with the points you made there. It was just the statement of the conscripts that bit me. That is like saying "he wanted to do it, so it's not an effort.".

[Deluge Of Sound]

Agreed. I have a tendency to under-explain myself on here. Apologies to anyone I riled with my brevity and incompleteness.