“Thank You for Your Service” – One Marine’s Perspective

Mortar team -Vietnam
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Over the last several years I have noticed a steady increase in the number of people who when they see me wearing one of my United States Marine Corps hats look at me and say “Thank You for Your Service.”  That instantly prompts two thoughts within me. One is just exactly what do you mean by thank you? The other is how do you know that I served in the U.S. or anyone else’s military? Okay I do feel a wee bit of gratitude but these other thoughts tend to mostly erase that.  Please let me explain.

A Combat Marine

To begin with just because I or anyone else is wearing hat that looks like it is from or about the Marine Corps or Navy or Army or Air Force or Coast Guard in and of itself means absolutely nothing.  Anyone can buy such a hat; just look at what Amazon has to offer all without official sanction. Amazon website  And you don’t even need Amazon, you can buy military styled hats in most liquor and surplus stores.  So just because someone is wearing a military styled hat does not mean that they ever served a day in the military.  One of the most egregious examples that I have seen is a man who is often sitting in a wheel chair outside of a local food store pan handling.  He wears an Army jacket complete with sergeant stripes and ribbons. He also wears an officer’s hat which tells me that his claim of military veteran status is totally fake because Army sergeants simply do not wear officer’s hats.  There are nearly a million American veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 2.7 million veterans from the Vietnam war, well over 5 million from the Korean Conflict and 16 million military veterans of World War Two although the number still living from all of these conflicts and wars is certainly less than the total number of veterans my only point is that there are plenty of veterans to be thanked for their service but sadly there are also plenty of people perfectly ready, willing and able to steal valor by making a false claim of service.  So when you unknowingly thank one of the fake “veterans” it is actually an insult to those of us who really did serve and sadly you simply cannot always tell the difference.

Ron enjoying some of the consequences of Agent Orange exposure

Then too what exactly are you thanking us for?  Are you thankful that you didn’t have to go because we did?  That isn’t really an insult per se and when the age difference is glaringly large it is also irrelevant.  Are you thanking me for making sure you weren’t forced to eat Pho’? Or maybe you believe that because of those men and women who have served our nation in the military we live in a safer place.  There is quite likely at least some merit to that notion.

A patch that fairly describes Chu Lai, Vietnam

But what exactly is your thank you?  One day a couple years ago now I was checking out from a grocery store when the man in front of me saw me in my Marine Corps hat.  All I had was a turkey and he had that and several other items as well. When he saw me he told the clerk to put my turkey on his bill and then he said “Thank you for your service.”  That was a very real sincere thank you. But there really is no need to buy veterans turkeys or slip ‘em a ten spot. There are however things you might consider doing that would put a little extra meaning in your thank you.  You might just want to reach out to any one or more of several veteran’s organizations such as but not limited to the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America and/or Wounded Warriors and put some real meaning in your thank you by making a donation to help out just some of the millions of veterans who suffer with PTSD or cancer caused by agent orange exposure or who have lost limbs or eyesight from unwanted contact with an Improvised Explosive Device.  Now you are bringing some reality into your thank you. And there is one other thing to at least look at.

VFW

I have a website.  ronirwin website.  On that website I have a lot of information including travel articles and theatrical reviews.  But I am also selling some stuff such as art and books and the like and it is all there and always free to look at.  But should you find anything that you might want to purchase know that 20% of the net proceeds goes to help real veterans in real need.  Now there is a very real thank you deeply appreciated by a very real veteran for which I say to you “You are most welcome and thank you for your support of our comrades in arms.”

Classic image of Marines rising flag on Mount Surabatchi

Oh and should you own a business and should you want to make a similar contribution please let me know by sending me an email to bu**********@gm***.com.  I promise that I will give you and your business strong positive mention both on my website and on my weekly radio show.  That is just my way of giving you a real heartfelt thank you for giving genuine support to our military veterans.

American Legion Emblem

Photos: Courtesy of Ron Irwin

 

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