[Troy]

What is this crap that I get from veterans and non veterans, telling me "Welcome Home" forty+ years after the war?

I asked a guy for directions the other day and in conversation he discovered that I was RVN vet. He showed me on the map what I needed to know. He was a really nice guy. And as I was ready to go, he says, "And say, Welcome Home!" ... wtf ... so i have to put on this smile and reply with "you too" and drive away thinking "This is stupid."

Oh, I know what it means, but come on ! ... welcome home means something to someone coming home, not someone who came home.

Congress is even getting in on the act, declaring Mar 30 as "Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home" day ... I thought we already had a "Veterans Day" honoring all veterans ... I swear, the do gooders just keep on trying.

Look, if you feel guilty about some role you had in disrespecting troops, take a look inward, don't try to project it on me with your "welcome home" thing. And you politicians approving this thing ... do you think you'll get my vote with this (I don't think this is the kind of thing that will influence me).

What do we say to vets from our current 10 year war? Is it confusing to say Welcome Home to them? Welcome Home which time, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, even 10-15 tours?

Could you just save that welcome home thing for someone arriving in the US or even at your doorstep?

[Open Eyes]

That is a part of the letter Troy. Save this post, good one. If you want to add I will listen.

But what would you want to hear? Nothing? Just a question. What would you rather have than that so called new recognition day?

Remember what I told you, it will take time. But this is a start, it is the beginning of a request.
Obviously that man did not say the right thing, he needs to know and others need to know too.

Some of the best answers come from rants. So let it out whenever you want as it comes to you.

Open Eyes

[Troy]

Good point Open Eyes ... If someone must say something, they can just say "thanks for your service" ... That doesn't really appeal to me because i don't ever know how to respond, but at least it would make sense. "Welcome Home" is a gimmick ... a cheap gimmick used to make the person saying it feel better in some way.

And "thanks for your service" is pretty mushy, too. The people saying it don't have a clue what they are thanking me for. I've even had people follow up this remark with, "i'm sure glad I didn't have to go."

For me personally, I'd really rather they didn't say anything at all about my military service. Veterans Day is plenty, and I'd bet a lot of vets think the same way. Just leave me out of any "welcome home day" recognition and ceremonies, and please, please do not give Halmark 4 or 5 bucks for another gimmicky card.

[todarktosleep]

When I got back from both my tours in Iraq i got allot of "Welcome Home"'s for the first couple of months I was back, at the bar, the VFW, and anywhere that knew I had been over there. I liked them for the most part, and when it was established that I was Home I started telling people that I'd been back a while and welcome home wasn't really appropriate. They seemed to get the message, though I'll still get the occasional person that will read my hat and say it anyway, I just smile and nod. I think you are right about it being to long in the past for Vietnam vets to get "Welcome Home" though it saddens me to know the American People couldn't/wouldn't say it back then. On the other hand someone saying " Thank You For Your service " I feel is about the best thing a person can say, if they feel compelled to say anything at all. I usually respond with " Thanks for your support ", smile and walk away.

These are only my thoughts on it, they only mean as much as you put in to them, just felt compelled to say my piece...

[Perna]

I hear you, Troy. I have a friend who wears the ship he served on's baseball cap everywhere (I think he sleeps in it) and is constantly getting people saying "Thank you" (he can't even get into the VFW because there was no war when he served, it was after Vietnam and before Gulf) and I think that's a bit cheesy of him. All the TV shows and stuff now when Vietnam vets got so little; it just seems unbalanced to me and civilians have no clue who was in, when, because they get their clues from the media who's in it for the money/emotional twist.

[Troy]

ToDarkToSleep ... thanks for letting me know the remark you use ..."Thanks for your support." ... I'll use that if you don't mind.

Perna ... ya hear all the time about phony vets. They're in the news, but they're not identified as such. They are the statistics of "homeless vietnam vets" and so on ... it's all an act. Those who are really vets can get all the care they can accept. If they're disabled, they can get a substantial $ enuf to keep them off the streets. One guy I worked with for years claimed to be retired military, but when he died and we went to VA with his SSN for the final "benefits" ... they'd never heard of him.

Y'all are great ... thanks for the notes on this. Just don't welcome me home !!!! (