Posted on November 11, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 22 Comments
I like Veteran’s Day as a holiday because it’s about what people do for our country (I like Labor Day pretty much for the same reason). If you’re a veteran, thanks for the service you gave. I appreciate it.
Taunting the tauntable since 1998
John Scalzi, proprietor – JS
Athena Scalzi, contributor – AMS
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It was my honor and duty. You’re welcome!
Thanks for your support. I appreciated the ebooks you offered while I was deployed.
About appreciation of the military and veterans:
I noticed a big change in this sort of thing over my career in the Army. I joined in the early 1970’s, and got a lot of cold shoulders, and even some frank sneers: such was the prevailing societal attitude then.
Not including a significant break in service, I served for a total of 25 years. By the end of that time, and particularly since 9/11, I have experienced just the opposite. People frequently thank me for my service.
It hasn’t changed anything about my decision to serve, and remain proud of the time I spent serving, but it does feel good to be appreciated.
Thanks, John, for your support.
(and yes, if you do the math, I have some miles behind me. You do have readers in their 60’s, and probably beyond. Just finished “The Human Division”, and very much enjoyed it.)
You are very welcome.
And, unlike Labor Day, the de jure honorees of this holiday are still the de facto honorees.
My service (Army) was 03/66 to 03/69. By the grace of whomever I did not go to Vietnam. To those who did, and all the others past, present and future, Thank You.
You’re welcome. You can further express your gratitude by finishing the new book! :)
My wife’s father just passed away in July. He was a veteran of WWII, serving in Europe and later the Philippines. He was intensely proud of his service, and these kinds of recognition were greatly appreciated.
I served for twelve years myself in the Air Force, and I can remember the non-appreciation I was treated to in the late sixties and early seventies when Vietnam was the catchword of the day. The current general mood of the country towards its military is much better; I think many people really do see that military service is a sacrifice, a duty, and helps all Americans. Thank you for your appreciation.
Thank you to Comrade Scalzi, and thanks to my fellow veterans as well. I am happy to have missed the highs and lows of appreciation myself, having served in the 80s/early 90s.
The best way I can think to really say thanks is to work harder to create fewer veterans in the future.
It was my honor and privilege to serve. Thank YOU for your outstanding writing!
One other thing we all could do – see to it that we keep the promises made to our veterans. There are many efforts today to reduce services and eliminate support that is much needed by the men and women who served. Saying “thank you” is hollow when you are simultaneously ignoring the needs of those you thank. We can do better as a nation than we currently do.
Thank you and you’re welcome.
Thank you John. I’m taking the day off as this is the one holiday I’ve actually earned.
Thank you, all you veterans.
@dustoff26 I noticed a big change in this sort of thing over my career in the Army. I joined in the early 1970′s, and got a lot of cold shoulders, and even some frank sneers: such was the prevailing societal attitude then. Not including a significant break in service, I served for a total of 25 years. By the end of that time, and particularly since 9/11, I have experienced just the opposite. People frequently thank me for my service.
Although gratifying at an individual level, people have been warning about this at a social level.
(The author is also a veteran)
Qapla’, warriors! You have fought with honor, and brought honor and glory to your families!
Seriously, thank you. I pledge that if I am ever elected President, free PTSD counselling will be #3 on my list (after an Equal Rights Amendment and fixing the environment).
To those who served to give me the freedoms I enjoy, to those I served with maintaining them, to those serving today, and to those choosing to serve tomorrow — “Thank you!”
To those thanking me — You’re welcome. It was an honor and a privilege to serve.
Thank you. I wore my field jacket to school today. Not for myself, although I always take the appreciative words when given, but in honor of others who have served and still serve. My dad, grandfathers, friends, co-workers and others.
For me, this is still Armistice Day, remembering the end of a great and evil war, and remembering how the revenge taken by the winners against the losers led to more wars. We haven’t seen the end of the problems caused by the British division of the leftovers of the Ottoman Empire.
Remember the soldiers who were sent into those wars, but also the politicians who sent them, and the civilians who were affected as well, and those who worked for peace, whether successfully or not.
I was in the last Vietnam draft lottery, though my number was high enough I wasn’t even called up for an Army physical. My father was a chemist, drafted to develop chemical weapons during the Korean War, even though we’d supposedly renounced all of those after the Great War; he wouldn’t carry a gun, but he never talked much about that or about the things he did develop. At least one of my uncles was in WWII; my father-in-law went to CO camp instead.
You’re welcome.
My dad once told me there was no greater lover of peace than a veteran who’s been to war.