Every year, on November 11th, the phrase "thank you for your service" becomes the most used phrase of the day here in the United States, as countless Americans rally in support of all their veteran friends and family. But what are you really thanking us for? Do you really know? As a veteran of the United States Armed Forces myself, I've decided to shed some light on some things you should keep in mind next time you feel the urge to show your support for veterans by telling one of us "thank you" on Veterans Day.
"If we really saw war, what war does to young minds and bodies, it would be impossible to embrace the myth of war. If we had to stand over the mangled corpses of schoolchildren killed in Afghanistan and listen to the wails of their parents, we would not be able to repeat clichés we use to justify war. This is why war is carefully sanitized. This is why we are given war's perverse and dark thrill but are spared from seeing war's consequences. The mythic visions of war keep it heroic and entertaining…
The wounded, the crippled, and the dead are, in this great charade, swiftly carted offstage. They are war's refuse. We do not see them. We do not hear them. They are doomed, like wandering spirits, to float around the edges of our consciousness, ignored, even reviled. The message they tell is too painful for us to hear. We prefer to celebrate ourselves and our nation by imbibing the myths of glory, honor, patriotism, and heroism, words that in combat become empty and meaningless."
-- Chris Hedges
I started out with this quote from Chris Hedges because I felt that it fully encapsulates the theme of this post today. I wrote a poem yesterday that is also along these same lines, so feel free to check it out here for a more succinct version of the ideas that will be discussed in detail in this post that you're reading right now.
Why We Feel Alone
Most of us come home to the civilian life and have such a difficult time re-integrating back into society. Our whole world suddenly changes when we return to our families and we realize that things are different now. Our family and friends no longer recognize us, because our time in the military has stripped us of just about everything that made us who we were before we joined. We go from an environment where we feel the support of our fellow servicemembers and know that for better or worse we have people who will have our back no matter what, to this brave new world that we're dropped into where no one know us anymore and we no longer have that same support system that we had relied on so much during our time in the military.
Because so many of us come home with severe mental health issues, such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, depression, anxiety, anger issues, etc., the lack of support we feel upon returning tends to exacerbate the situation. We become trapped in cages that we feel we will never be able to escape from because we feel like we are beyond help. Many even feel like they don't deserve any help, after doing and seeing the things that they did while they were in. So we are left to our own devices, to try to navigate the trials and tribulations of the post-military life on our own.
Twenty percent of veterans who served in Afghanistan or Iraq suffer from PTSD or severe depression, and out of those veterans, 19.5% have also suffered from TBI, according to the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research. Despite such a large number of us coming home with these mental health issues, only about half of us in need of veteran-specific mental health treatment will end up receiving it, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The reasons behind this are many, but here are a few important ones to note:
- Fear of being perceived as a weak person
- Feeling embarrassed about mental health issues resulting from military service
- Long waiting periods for receiving help through the VA
- Feeling ashamed about having to seek out professional help
- A lack of faith in the highly inefficient VA system
So many of us fail to get the help that we need because we feel ashamed or weak for even thinking about asking for help from someone else. I know that I myself never sought out professional help when I needed it, exactly because I didn't want to seem weak to anyone. Luckily for me, I more or less found a way to heal on my own. Unfortunately, many out there don't get as lucky and are besieged by their demons until they end up throwing in the towel altogether and become a statistic.
According to the VA Suicide Prevention Program, an average of 20 veterans commit suicide every day, based on their latest collected data from 2014. Of course, it's quite impossible to maintain 100% accurate counts on how many veterans actually kill themselves every year, so that number has likely grown since they collected that data. I say 20 a day is 20 too many. Also from their data from 2014, when veterans made up about 8.5% of the population of the United States, we constituted about 18% of all suicide deaths among American adults.
I, too, have struggled with suicidal periods in my life after coming home. Fortunately for me, I found a helpful outlet that helped me to heal and brought some distance between me and that suicidal sentiment. A few of my friends I served with were not so lucky and tragically chose to leave us. If you are a fellow veteran and ever have thoughts like that, as hard as it might be, reach out to someone. If you don't have anyone, come find me. Or if you need more immediate help, please call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and press 1. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. I repeat, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Many of Us End Up on the Streets
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 39,471 veterans are homeless at any one time. Of course, as with the suicide statistic, exact figures are pretty impossible to come by due to the nature of transiency. Nine percent of those veterans are between the ages of 18 and 30, while 41% are between 31 and 50. In addition to this, an estimated 1.4 million veterans are at risk of falling into homelessness because of a combination of poverty and a lack of support systems in their area.
Out of the homeless population in the United States, it is estimated that roughly 11% of adults are veterans. Of the male homeless population, it is said that veterans make up 20%. Fifty-one percent of homeless veterans also have disabilities, while 50% suffer from serious mental health issues. A shocking 70% are dealing with substance abuse issues!
Many of us end up homeless because of a lack of affordable housing and sustainable income, while others find themselves on the streets as a result of their mental health issues, substance abuse, and a lack of support from family and social networks. Furthermore, many veterans find ourselves unemployable in the civilian world because our particular skill sets don't find much translation over in the civilian workforce, leaving many unable to pay rent and having no other option than to go transient.
In addition to this, many of my brothers and sisters have related stories to me of how they would apply for every job they could find that was hiring, and just about all of them told them that they would not hire them because of their status as a veteran. I suspect that I suffered the same thing a few years ago, when I was living in LA and I could not get hired for the life of me. It led me down a very dark road of depression and suicidal inclinations, because I saw myself as less of a man for not being able to find work despite all my best efforts. Luckily for me, I was living at home with my family and I did not have to pay rent, so I did not have to end up on the streets. Some of my friends have not been so lucky, and have had to undergo periods of homelessness in their lives.
So Many Try to Numb the Pain With Alcohol and/or Opioids
I've been lucky that my own coping mechanisms haven't involved heavy alcohol use or opioid abuse, but so many of my friends have unfortunately resorted to those substances to deal with their daily demons. According to a study by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, an estimated 25% of all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans show signs of substance abuse disorder. In addition to that, the VA estimated in 2009 that approximately 13,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans require veteran-specific mental health treatment as a result of suffering from alcohol dependence syndrome.
One of my best friends from the military actually has been told by his doctor that he can't drink anymore because his liver had been overworked from his extended period of alcohol abuse after getting out. Another one still turns to his pills and other harmful drugs to escape from the pain, both physical and emotional/psychological. Cases like these are far too common among veterans, and it has a lot to do with the chosen treatment methods in place at the VA, but it also has to do with my first point, how alone we feel after coming back to the civilian world.
Unfortunately, for many veterans, despite all the reassurances from friends and family, we still feel alone. I know that I had several friends try to comfort me and tell me that they were there for me, but for me, I was so far gone by that point that I didn't believe I deserved their help and so I chose to try to go it alone. I honestly can't say what's the best thing to do in this situation to try to mitigate the substance abuse outlet, but I do know now, looking back on those days, I truly appreciate everyone who made the honest effort to stick by me and help me through all those issues.
War Is A Racket
The last thing I want to talk about brings us back to the subject of the quote that I started this post with: war. When people say "thank you" to us, they are typically telling us thank you because they are under this impression that our service in the Armed Forces keeps them safe or protects their freedoms. This is a controversial subject to be talking about, but that couldn't possibly be further from the truth. War is a racket, nothing more. It has nothing to do with keeping us safe or protecting our freedoms. One of my best friends in the military used to laugh at that idea that we were going over to the Middle East to "protect our freedom." He used to always say, "Well, how did our freedoms get over to the Middle East?"
I'm never really my usual articulate self when it comes down to this particular part of the discussion, so I will let the words of Major General Smedley Darlington Butler, who was the most decorated Marine in U.S. history at the time of his death, speak for me. Below is an excerpt from his book, War Is A Racket:
War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.
I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.
It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.
I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.
So you see, nothing we do while at war in the Middle East, has anything to do with keeping us safe or protecting our freedoms. It has everything to do with making a profit, seizing resources, and protecting corporate interests. So please, next time you think about saying "thank you for your service" to us on Veterans Day, keep these things in mind. Obviously, this is just my personal perspective on the whole thing, and other veterans will gladly accept your thanks for their service. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the sentiment behind your expression of gratitude and your display of support for us. I just wish you knew and fully understood all that it entails. I just wish you understood how you can truly show your support for veterans.
I suppose my bottom line here is, if you truly support us, and you truly want to show that support, don't just tell us thank you one day of the year. Look around for organizations and services in your area that help veterans, and help them carry out their respective missions. Reach out to the veterans you have in your life and make sure that they know you are there for them even though you have no idea how to process their struggles. And then actually be there for them when they need you. Most importantly, if you truly support our veterans, STOP SUPPORTING THESE WARS THAT POLITICIANS SEND US OFF TO FIGHT IN!
Happy Veterans Day.
Check out some of my other posts!
How I Achieved 200 Followers in My First Month on Steemit
Why I Chose to Invest $100 in Steem
My First Week on Steemit
The Dawn of The Dancing Dreamers
The Dawn of Friendship In a New Age
I'm Just an Island Boy Living in Utah who Loves EDM
!steemitworldmap 40.754539 lat -111.902618 long Salt Lake City, Utah local Steemian! d3scr
Great post. Thanks for sharing. UpVoted, Resteemed and Tweeted
Disclaimer: I am just a bot trying to be helpful.
Thank you so much for upvoting, resteeming, commenting, and tweeting my post! I really appreciate it!!
Hat off to you sir and thank you for your service.
I encourage you to post more, share stories to us. We love to hear more sir.
God Bless and enjoy life.
@yehey
Thank you so much for reading my post, @yehey! I really appreciate your help with getting it seen by many other people. I'm happy to be a part of the #SteemPH community with you! You've got my witness vote. :D
Oh brother, You gave me goosebumbs and teary eyes even after the second time I read this. You really nailed it. You have put into words so many feelings and emotions I have had over the years along with so many issues that veterans face every day..
I definitely have had my fair share of addiction issues with alcohol and opioids due to trying to cover up the pain and heartache that I suffer from, but thankfully I have finally crossed that hurdle and have made it safely to the other side.
Unfortunately like you, I have lost 5 friends since the war to do mental health issues. I don't think people truly understand what war does to peoples minds, I am a disabled veteran from ptsd but I have no scars so people think I am just fine. That couldnt be further from the truth. I still struggle with these thoughts often. Just last night I had nightmares of war. I don't think people understand that war never really ends in your head, you just keep replaying that shit over and over.
I'm really happy you ended this article the way you did.. I don't mind being thanked for my service because like you said people are just trying to be supportive (which is extremely important after Vietnam), however war is a racket and I wish people could see that the government is using children to fight these wars for profit and I find that fucking discusting!
Anyhow, thank you for this amazing article my brother.. I really appreciated reading it.... twice! :)
I think you have a gift with writing and I hope to see you do well here on steemit or wherever you choose to use it. Take care.
I'm so glad you could really identify with it. As much as I wrote it to educate the masses on our struggles after getting out, I also wrote it for all my fellow veterans out there who might need to see this message just as much, if only to have some sort of reassurance or reminder that they are not alone in their struggle. Obviously an online form of support doesn't quite compare to support from a physical human being in your physical presence, but it's better than not having anyone at all, right?
I am very sorry to hear that you have lost friends after coming home, too. It brings tears to my eyes writing this even now because of how deeply seated in my head all the emotional trauma and PTSD is, that anytime I come across any mention or depiction of troops dying in war or veterans committing suicide after coming home, the tears just start to flow uncontrollably.
You're absolutely right, I really do wish that people would see that bottom line truth, that the government is using children to fight these wars for profit under the false impression that they are going to be doing a great service to our country by "protecting our freedoms" and the like. The brainwashing definitely starts at an early age, and I, too, fell prey to that kind of trickery once upon a time. Luckily for me, certain catalysts during my time in the military caused me to have a rude awakening and I saw the racket for what it is.
Thank you so much for your kind words on my writing, I really appreciate it. I struggle a lot of times because I'm my own worst critic and I tend to believe that my writing isn't anything special or that no one would want to read things that I write. So it really means a lot to me even though to others it might just equate to a few words on a screen. Congratulations on your own Veterans Day post getting curated by Whaleshares last night though, they dropped the link and I was like, "Oooooh nice, I know him!" :P
No problem man. Like I said, I feel you have a gift and I really appreciate you sharing your most difficult moments in life so other people can learn, heal and/or grow from it.
I'm my own worse critic too, but I don't think of that as a bad thing I guess, cuz if I don't hold myself to a standard no one will these days :/
Im glad you got to see the whaleshares chat, I messed up the time zone and showed up a hour late. I have gotten a few nice comments since the chat so I would imagine it went well. :)
I'm glad steemit brought us together bro, It's nice connecting to other veterans on the same level. I don't speak to many of my battles anymore because of where I'm at in my journey in life, its not a bad thing, we all grow through life differently and we are now on separate paths. I have let go of my anger and hate and found truth, not many of us find a path to healing and I can't allow my healing to be slowed by others who are not on the same path at this point in my journey. Everyone heals differently. So thanks for being my new battle on this point of my journey, I look forward to getting to know you better over time my brother.. take care, oh and I made a comment on your new post yesterday, id love a response whenever u got the time bro! ;)
All I can say is wow. You are absolutely amazing and like I said earlier I can never thank you enough for the work you've done. I'm sorry you and other veterans ever have to wait for help or not receieve it. Second time I cried today reading one of these. You and your fellow servicemen are so loved and appreciated by all of us and thank you for taking so much time and effort for such an amazing and inspiring crazy emotional post. I have never resteemed a post before, sir. This shall be my first because it's amazing and you have amazed me in ways I didn't see before. 💜 Much love to you always.
Thank you so much @kristyyd!! Seriously, I can't say it enough, all of your support means so much! Sorry for making you cry twice today though! (^_^;)> And THANK YOU SO MUCH for resteeming my post, I really appreciate it!!!
V+R
plz follow me
That's not how you get followers, you have to talk to people on Steemit and get to know them, and then maybe they will want to follow you if they like the kind of things that you post about. Good luck! :)
This post has been ranked within the top 80 most undervalued posts in the first half of Nov 12. We estimate that this post is undervalued by $6.04 as compared to a scenario in which every voter had an equal say.
See the full rankings and details in The Daily Tribune: Nov 12 - Part I. You can also read about some of our methodology, data analysis and technical details in our initial post.
If you are the author and would prefer not to receive these comments, simply reply "Stop" to this comment.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. I hope my post gets seen by more people now! :)
My family is all military- I greatly appreciate this post that comments on the real problems. Nicely done!
Thank you so much, @sunravelme! By the way, I totally enjoyed listening in to your radio show tonight and participating through chatting! I'm looking forward to the next show! :)
Thanks for joining us!
Those conspiracy by corporates and government. Rather not get their hand dirty by sending you guys off are pathetic :( Well theres nothing we can do about it, but next time I see another veteran, I'll always remember your words. Even though you have no idea what they struggled, I'll be there for them.
Thank you so much, @tngflx! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my post and comment on it. You're wrong about one thing, though...there is something we can do about it. Wars can't be fought if we, the cannon fodder, refuse to fight them. But that's probably a pipe dream because as long as there is injustice and oppression in the world, people will always find the draw of the benefits of the military to be too good to miss out on. But I dream of the day when we are all awake enough to realize that we can stop wars by refusing to take part in them.
That was surely worth the read. The culture around me reveres our service members, but also holds close a mindset and worldview that is more likely to send them into war. I'm glad that one of the good things to come out of your time in the military was a nuanced perspective like this one.
Thank you so much, @americaurusrex! I'm glad you found good substance/value in my post. I really appreciate you taking the time to read it and leave your thoughts on it. And seriously, it's so good to see you on here now!! I'm looking forward to seeing more of your posts man!
Welcome home.
Thank you.
I just read your post, which I saw on @guiltyparties digest for today. Oorah!
I couldn’t have known this better from anyone else. I am quite speechless to know the statistic regarding those who have gone homeless.
This post was the best read of today for me. Thankyou so much for articulating and comprehending this so well. You have truly earned my vote. Not that it’s worth much money, but a token of appreciation to the good writer in you . :)
Thank you so much, @donnacharlie! I really appreciate you reading my post and leaving a comment on it. I am glad that you found the information useful. I really hope that more and more people see this post, because I really believe that this is the kind of stuff that people need to be talking about on Veterans Day, and really any day in general.
Thank you for upvoting my post too! Don't worry about your upvote not being worth much money yet, that's totally understandable when you're just starting out! The important thing is that you took the time out of your day to read a post and upvote it. :) I totally understand where you're coming from, too! I felt the same way about my upvotes a few weeks ago...so I went and did something crazy and invested in Steem to power myself up so that my upvotes would actually add some tangible value to people's posts :P
How long were you in the service to this great country comprised of 50 states and various territories ?
Four and a half years. Thank you for reading my post! Are you a veteran as well?
Yes, 8 years US Army.
Thank you for being here and reading my post! What did you think about it?
Fantastic article bro! I dont have time tonight to leave a good response but i will tomorrow. Until then, im sending resteembot, red-rose and educ.leb ur way all to resteem this :)
Thank you so much!! I am looking forward to the discussion we will have tomorrow! :) And thank you for sending the resteem services my way, I appreciate it so much!
@moderndayhippie life takes over sometimes and we forget haha but I'd still love to hear your thoughts on this when you get a chance sometime! :)
sorry man, i honestly haven't forgotten about you bro I promise! i am just really busy packing, selling and moving my shit. I am getting ready for the adventure of a lifetime and we are leaving in less than 3 weeks so shit is hectic to say the least!. However, It was on my to do list for first thing tomorrow morning! :)
Ahhhh nice! No worries haha, no rush! :P I eagerly await your input whenever you do get around to it :D
yeah man, i seriously felt bad i didnt get around to it this morning, shit is crazy around here lately.. I was kinda hoping I had time to do it before you noticed lol.. like i said, it is the first thing on my list tomorrow, and I get up stupid early ;)
I greatly appreciate this post has a great post @rodeo670
Thank you so much, @myeasin! I'm glad you could appreciate it. I hope it gets seen far and wide because I really believe that this needs to be discussed everywhere, especially today.
Yo!!!!!! My dude. Im just floored with this peiece. It needs to be in the damn new york times or somet
Thank you so much, @limabeing! I'm so happy you appreciate my post. I hope it does get seen by a lot more people....I might have to dish out some SBD to get it resteemed lol
Also checkout shadow pubs steemit ramble. Im gonna suggest this to human bot as well
Thank you! I'll definitely check it out. :)
@ocd might also be a place for you... maybe @ma1neevent can help with that...
plz follow me
wow thank you - Like you I strongly disagree with the wars that this country pulls our young men and women into, and consequently have a soft spot and a tremendous respect for veterans. It's a hard balance, because I want to help the people and not the machine powering them.
Thanks for putting this into perspective though - I often say "thank you for your service" with the intent to show respect for everything that the veteran has put his/herself through, but clearly it's not always accepted as I intend it to be. Awareness is half the understanding.
Thank you so much for reading my post, and for starting a discussion with me! It really is a hard balance, and I completely understand where you're coming from. When I had my "aha!" moment and I woke up to the reality of what war really is and what we are really doing, I found myself at odds with everything and I didn't know how to express that I supported our troops 100% and no longer supported the military establishment and the Military-Industrial Complex that we were working for.
Thank you for understanding the point of my post, and for not taking it in a bad way. When I posted it and re-read it, I was worried that people would take it the wrong way and get mad at me for telling them that not all of us take the thank you in as positive a way as the thankers expect.
So in your opinion. how many of our service members in all the branches realize this and feel the way you do? I feel like many are awakening to this reality these days. I suppose this is why they want em' so young to begin with? I do thank you and our soldiers whether aware or not for having the courage and the belief that what they were doing was for a great cause and for their fellow American Nationals and for the good of the peoples of the world even though it was all for naught. Great post full of truth that needs to be heard as the average beer curling, arm chair American has no idea. Thank you brother........... Enjoyed.
It's great to actually hear a perspective - it's always been an internal battle for me. One of my good friends served in Iraq and yet I've never said thanks to him because he similarly doesn't really even support why he was over there either. I never even thought to ask him what he thinks about the "thank you" comments... I think I will now
I'd love to know what your friend says when you do ask him! Post about it in here? lol :P
Will do!
plz follow me
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and comment on it, @stillwater! I really appreciate it. In my opinion, more and more are waking up to it and realizing the truth. I know that all of my friends have come to similar realizations/conclusions about our time in the military. This is why the Department of Homeland Security has flagged veterans as a potential terrorist threat (yes, it's true, they do classify us as such, so much for being grateful for our service right?). Because far too many of us come back home and realize that the government didn't really do shit for us and won't do shit for us now especially that we're out. So what option do we have left, but to talk about all the real shit that actually goes on?
@rodeo670.
This is the second time I have ran across you on Steemit, the first time was when you were cautioning a young man from California who seemed obsessed with the military and was thinking about joining. I hope he sees this post of yours.
I never served, but lost several friends to the after effects of the Vietnam war. I also commented on that young mans posted and urged him to heed your advice, I hope he followed you to read this more detailed explanation.
Until next time,
@sultnpapper
Thank you so much for reading my post! I really appreciate that you took the time to leave your two cents, too! I think I do vaguely recall the interaction you're referring to, it must have been like two or three weeks ago, right? I'm so sorry to hear about your Vietnam veteran friends. A lot of the same treatment that Vietnam vets got after coming back home from the war is very similar to the treatment that we get after coming home today. But I feel like the Vietnam vets definitely had it way harder than we do today. I, too, hope that kid whose post I commented on at least did some research into my advice.
Thank you again!!
Namaste!
Very good post.
This is a very hard subject to bring up publicly,Thank you for standing on the Line once again and trying to serve this message to the public.
Respectfully resteemed,and upvoted in support.
Thank you so much for reading it, @jesse2you! I also really appreciate the upvote and the resteem! I was honestly on the fence about writing/publishing this post...it's a controversial subject matter for sure, and especially with the last part it can be misinterpreted and people can assume that I am anti-American or whatever...I've had so many people in the past chastise me and try to actually fight me for talking about the harsh truth about the wars we fight. But I ultimately decided that I had to post it because it had to be said, it had to be discussed, especially on Veterans Day.
Thank you again!!! :)
Thank you for a brutally honest post, straight from the horse's mouth! So many must join military service under the impression they can do something to defend their country. Australia even calls it the defence forces, but it seems to me that they are doing nothing to defend their country over in the middle east.
I'm afraid I don't really join in with the veterans day thank you because it appalls me that people would be treated this way, being unnecessarily put into the situations you experienced. I can thoroughly understand why the suicide rate must be so high in veterans and I admire you for having been able to recover from such traumas.
Thank you again for speaking out. The truth needs to be spoken. The people don't start wars, governments do.
Thank you so much for reading my post, and for leaving your thoughts on the subject! I really appreciate you taking the time to not only read my post, but comment on it. I wasn't aware that the forces in Australia are referred to as the Defence Forces...it is similar to how our military department here in the USA is the Department of Defense. And yet, like the Australians...funny way of "defending" our country from halfway around the world.
I'm glad that you don't feel obligated to say thank you to veterans on Veterans Day. I wish no one felt obligated to. I think that's partially why everyone thanks us so much, they feel like it's some moral/patriotic obligation that they have, and that in doing so they are showing support for our troops and our veterans.
The truth definitely does need to be spoken. I wrestled with writing/posting this yesterday because I was worried about the potential backlash that I could receive for being so firm on my stance when talking about such a controversial matter. In the end I decided that I had to go ahead and write/publish it because the truth matters the most.
Thank you again for your input!
I think it would be hard for people to lash out at someone who has experienced this first hand. Now if you weren't yourself a veteran, then I expect you would get some backlash.
You'd be surprised....I've been on the receiving end of it more than once.
Seriously!! I guess there's no cure for stupidity.
Can I ask, when you come back from the war, did you choose to leave the military or did they retire you? I'm just thinking about how ex-military struggle to get other work when the military is all you've been trained for, so it seems as if that's the only place to stay, but I've heard of a sniper being automatically retired after 30 confirmed kills, when he didn't want to be.
I chose to leave. When I realized the reality of what was really going on, what we were really doing in the Middle East, what wars are really fought over, I could no longer in good conscience be a part of that war machine. Yes, we struggle to find employment after the military life because a lot of times our skill sets don't translate over into the civilian workforce very well.
All power to you. I raiser it wasn't an easy choice, but the right choice. Thanks for really opening my eyes to what ex military have to go through, even after the war is behind them.
This is a courageous post. I will thank you for serving with your eyes open, and for coming back and sharing your experiences. I am sorry they cost you what they did.
Have you read Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins? It was a real eye-opener for me, describing the sort of global racketeering that goes on. You also might enjoy Tribe by Sebastian Junger. He describes the sort of family and support so many find in the military, and how those values are hard to replace when veterans come home.
One of the things I find fascinating about the Civil War letters I'm sharing is how thoroughly my ancestors bought the popular narrative of the war. I'm sure Abel would have been much worse off if he did not have such strong faith to support him when he came home.
We have so much more information available to us today, but the general population can't be bothered to understand what's really going on. This must also be a hard thing for returning soldiers to discover.
Thank you so much for reading my post, and for leaving such a great comment! I have definitely read Confessions as well as watched the documentary that it inspired. I have no read Tribe yet, but I have indeed heard about it before, and I'm pretty sure I meant to pick up a copy a few years ago but never got around to doing it until I eventually forgot about it. I'll have to grab one this time around! :P
It really is hard to come back with all this knowledge that should be shared far and wide, only to be met with skepticism and hostility by the majority of people who can't be bothered to understand what's really going on. I really appreciate that you understand and that you took the time to recommend those books for me! Thank you!
That's amazing!
I come from a different perspective about the army then what you guys have in the US. But I feel like saying "Thank you" became more of a social acceptance while people don't try to put themselves in the shoes of the veteran (mentally). The feeling of this "social acceptance" really made me think a lot of times that it just has the same effect as brainwash and people will not allow themselves to be more aware and subjective to the big picture.
Thank you for a great post, I'm sure that people will have another perspective to think about after this.
Thank you, @paps! Yes, it definitely can have the same effects as brainwashing. Most people just don't ask questions and they think that something is just supposed to be the way it is because that's what they were told and that's just how things have always gone, etc. I really appreciate you reading my post and throwing in your two cents! :D
Always! :D
I can only say that this is a very necessary message and I agree with your evaluation. I have often contemplated the reality of war on the veteran's psyche and dated a man with severe PTSD. He shared bits of his torment and I was overwhelmed at those. I'm grateful you were able to survive and saddened by the ugly statitics and naked facts. Resteemed.
Thank you so much for reading my post and leaving your thoughts on it, @wandrnrose7! I am glad that you were able to get something out of it. I really appreciate you resteeming it, too! I really feel like this kind of stuff needs to be seen and talked about by as many people as possible.
Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=rodeo670
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=what-you-need-to-know-about-telling-veterans-thank-you-on-veterans-day-a-veteran-s-perspective
Want to have your post on the map too?
Add the following inside your post:
!steemitworldmap xxx lat yyy long description d3scr
(replace xxx and yyy with latitude and longitude)
Resteemed by @resteembot! Good Luck!
Your post was resteemed thanks to @moderndayhippie
Curious?
The @resteembot's introduction post
The @reblogger's introduction post
Get more from @resteembot with the #resteembotsentme initiative
Check out the great posts I already resteemed.
Oh my, this is really heartwarming!
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I hope you gained something useful from it.
wow very great post.I like it.
plz reply my comment.
and upvote my new post plz.
Thank you!
This is awesome @rodeo670
Thank you @tfame3865
resteem your posts for just 0.001 SBD] •
@originalworks @steemitboard
The @OriginalWorks BETA V2 bot has upvoted(0.5%) and checked this post!
Some similarity seems to be present here:
http://kunstler.com/clusterfuck-nation/lighten-up-to-tighten-up/
This is an early BETA version. If you cited this source, then ignore this message! Reply if you feel this is an error.
lol of course there would be some similarity, it's not like I can just change statistics around to make my post more "original"....
I couldn't even find it lol. I looked at that peice n was like--- where?? I think they just want a link to sources? Sorry was just tryna get you more deserved upvotes
No worries! :P It is still in BETA I guess :P Thank you for summoning it! :)
Resteem
Thank you!
This post received a 10% vote by @msp-canada courtesy of @artsygoddess from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ). Join us in Discord.
Upvoting this comment will help support @minnowsupport.
This post has been resteemed by @msp-lovebot courtesy of @artsygoddess from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ). Join us in Discord.
Upvoting this comment will help support @minnowsupport.
This post has been resteemed by @minnowsupport courtesy of @artsygoddess from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ). Join us in Discord.
Upvoting this comment will help support @minnowsupport.
This post has been resteemed by @msp-canada courtesy of @artsygoddess from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ). Join us in Discord.
Upvoting this comment will help support @minnowsupport.
This post has been resteemed by @msp-shanehug courtesy of @artsygoddess from the Minnow Support Project ( @minnowsupport ). Join us in Discord.
Upvoting this comment will help support @minnowsupport.
nice
thanks
Veterans are modern day heroes. They experienced the turmoil while being away from the family. Kudos to these men and women!
Thank you for reading my post! How do you define hero?
You are welcome. A hero does not need to wear capes, fly, or do incredible things. A hero is someone who extends his hand to help, his arms to carry someone's bursen, and someone who shares his or her life through whatever means.
plz follow me
Sorry, but I checked your profile and you don't post about things that I'm interested in, and your posts aren't really well put together. So I have decided to not follow you this time. Thank you for checking out my post though, I really appreciate it!
You have collected your daily Power Up! This post received an upvote worth of 1.17$.
Learn how to Power Up Smart here!
You are knowingly or unknowingly acting as an agent of subversion of your nation's military. It is really unfortunate.
What's unfortunate is that you can't seem to understand the true nature of my country's military and the real role we play in the global economic and political sphere. Thanks for downvoting me just because you don't agree with the truth that I presented in this post, that's always nice. Have a good day.
Oh good Sir . I don't believe you tell the whole truth. In India we have a term अर्धसत्य or half-truth. I am not an American citizen but I think that means I am not bound by feelings of patriotism for your country or am guided by emotions in reading the article.
Not everyone will agree with everything that you post ,I am just one who expressed it. Is not feedback always welcome now that you live as a civilian. Or is a Yes Sir ! customary. America's civilian population must take control of the political sphere rather than demoralising the army. The army is just an instrument of the state,it may be used in a good way or bad way. Do not train your axe at the very institution but try to bring about political change that makes your army well respected worldwide. Just my opinion. You are free to disagree.
You clearly don't understand the flagging/downvoting mechanism on this site. You don't just go around flagging people all willy-nilly just because you disagree with what they wrote. From the flagging window:
My post didn't fall under any of those, so you flagged me for no legitimate reason. Keep that kind of behavior up and you will draw negative attention to yourself and cause people to flag YOU.
The only negativity I see emanating is from the other side.
Learn to take a differing opinion. And whether or not the post fell under any of the legitimate down voting mechanisms is subjective and not your decision to make. I need not explain myself here. Obviously my words fall on deaf ears. If I am called to question this flag though I would gladly explain the reason,but not to you Sir.
Quit politicising the simple token of support your people show your army. You suggest that the soldier be an object of charity for he is helpless after war.It is not charity that you seek ,it is savagery.It would be undignified for a soldier to seek support and bailouts. Do not portray the soldier as a victim in need of help Sir.It is unbecoming of a nation to do so. God help your country if the veterans demand doleouts like the Banks. Since when was being in the Army about receiving ? It is a service.
Nations worldwide applaud and give grudging respect to how Americans proudly support their army.
It is really unfortunate when a self declared former serviceman uses the platform to call into question their sacrifices and endeavours. Just take a step back and see the magnitude of what you say.
The wars,the very reason for an Army 's existence are lies. Can the fallen soldier forgive you for that statement if you say it to his face?
I get it . You are a disgruntled dishonourably discharged soldier. I am surprised how you survived in your nation's army ? You have no soldierly qualities. You would not last two minutes in my world. You were born on an island forsaken by Japan and now even USA. You have lived a free lunch all your life. You need a astounding kick in the balls to wake up. Good luck with your money making scheme at your dignity's cost. Unlike you a few came here for adding value ,but you go out of your way to spoil it for them. You know who you are. You can lie to the world ,but your army 'brothers and sister's whom you commodify for gain know you. You disgust me. You have astounding arrogance and are two faced. If you had something to say you should have said it here in the open than using your cheap attempts at bullying. You are despicable. Instead of facing up to the accusations here in an open forum you choose to prey on those joining up in minnowsupport's discord channel with your cheap mob mentality usage. If you feel little inside the best way to grow is to grow bigger yourself. Do not rub out a line you see that is longer. Do not blow out other's torch that burns brighter
. You are weak. If Americans were not so demoralised and brainwashed they would have known you for the traitor you are. For those reading this please listen to Yuri Bezmenov's lectures on youtube. He was a great Russian man who defected to the US. He was living in India and gained spiritual wisdom here and though a nation breaking agent had a change of heart due to the immense warmth India showed him.He knew of the clever ways of Deceit and subversion that are used to enslave a people. The Trump regime is the last ditch effort of a dying nation to redeem itself. Americans must support him if their nation is to survive. Your enemy is unknown .It has though made a colony in your minds,American minds. Arise ,Awake ! The enemy is within .
Wow, indeed! What did you think was so "wow" though?