"Thank you for your service."

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Not always by any means. Yes, there was indeed protesting, spitting, refusing service and other indignities -- enough that we were all aware of them -- but they weren't the norm in most places. And movies and television didn't always portray returning vets as monsters. As for the news, well it reminds me a little of the protests in the Muslim world now -- to watch some news shows you'd think everyone is protesting, rather than the small number of people it actually seems to be.

I'd say the bigger problem was indifference. People had such conflicting feelings about the war that when the vets came home, after having lived through some horrific circumstances. the general public just wanted to act like the whole thing hadn't happened. All too often, there were no parades, no "thank yous," no indications of concern for what the vets had gone through or what they needed, because the general public here didn't want to deal with it all. The result was that the only thing many of the vets did hear was the insults. But most often, Vietnam vets weren't demonized; they were simply ignored.

I think a lot of the motivation for "thank you for your service" stems from a determination not to let vets feel ignored again. I supsect that at least some of the gushers are just saying what they wish someone had said to them. But I completely agree that there are times when it is appropriate and times when it is way overboard.

I feel like this time around, people realize you can disagree with the war and still support the vets.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by DeltaBetaBaby

I feel like this time around, people realize you can disagree with the war and still support the vets.

This is more what I was aiming to portray. I'm not saying by any means that ALL soldiers were treated poorly, but more that the general feelings toward the soldiers then was completely different than they are now. A person's level of support for the war doesn't directly correlate to their support for the troops.

And if anyone tried to protest at the airport today, I'm pretty sure they'd be looking at a punch in the face, at the very least.