A majority of younger veterans said they feel uncomfortable when they are told “thank you for your service,” a new poll found.
Ahead of Veterans Day on Saturday, a survey found disparities between young military members and their older counterparts in how they prefer to be recognized for their service.
Among younger military members and veterans — age 18 to 29 — 70 percent said they feel uncomfortable or awkward when they are thanked for their service. Only 24 percent of older members, 65 years and up, say the same, the Endeavor Analytics and YouGov poll found.
“This data shows that military service members and our veterans want Americans to go beyond small talk to connect with them on a deeper level, including learning more about their service, honoring each veteran’s service in ways in which they feel comfortable talking about it,” Robert F. Whittle Jr., retired Army major general and United Services Automobile Association (USAA) chief of staff, said in a statement.
The hats that say “Vietnam vet” or “first cav” or have an OIF ribbon on it or whatever
Why would Vietnam vet hat make you cringe? Those guys got spat on when they came home. If they want to wear a hat now why not?
After you left service maybe you put your time behind you, and that’s fine. But why would a Vietnam vet hat make you cringe?
There is no hate in my cringe but the cringe is real. There is an entire “boot” culture you aren’t aware of. Trust me on this one.