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Who should be thanking who?

robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
edited May 2002 in General Discussion
Ya know, I've made it clear on another thread how I feel about 'oweing your country something, so I'm not harping on that, honest. This is another topic all together.

I really thank a lot of people, that may have never been anywhere near the military or the uniform. Being in the military I have never felt that anyone owed me anything for what I do, I suppose its having come from the area I grew up in. I had friends growing up whose fathers and mothers made America what it is, and I think they are the ones who should get a lot more recognition than what they do. These people will never get a thank you, because for the most part they are never in the public eye.

Its not just the doctor, teacher, police officer, fireman, and military that should be thanked, though I do thank each one of them. Here is a list of some more jobs that I have the benefit of each day, off the top of my head.

First and foremost I want to thank my mail man, and the folks that work down at my internet providers office. Where would we be without them. My garbage man keeps me from having to figure out where to go to dump my cat litter, thanks. The people that work at the gas station, if it werent for them I'd be walking. The UPS guy, he is really cool, flags me down when he sees me, if he knows he has something for me, even while I'm nowhere near the house. The cashiers and stock people at the commissary, I like to eat once in a while. The people that work at the bank, my mom does that too, and that job sucks, everyone blames the bank, I know I do. The folks at the credit card company, I wouldnt have much without them, its not their fault I use to have a high percentage. The mechanic that works on my wife's car, I hate anything newer than my '72, cant figure them out. The people that make frozen pizza, and all the other neat stuff I eat with it, like beer, and hot dogs, and even the people that make ketchup, cause without ketchup, my boy wouldnt eat anything. The inspector that sticks that tag in my new underwear, I'd hate to have holes in it, kinda gets windy that way. Last but not least, to keep this short, and this is especailly near to my own occupation, the people that get everything from point A to point B, whether it be a pilot, engineer, truck driver, or ships captain, nothing would do any of us any good if it never made it there. So for all of you who dont really have your own day, thanks, I wont forget you on memorial day either. My hats off to the common man, I know I didnt mention a lot of occupations, but this is a never ending list, my wife will be ticked I didnt mention housewives and waitresses, oh well, she'll get over it.

SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC

Comments

  • dheffleydheffley Member Posts: 25,000
    edited November -1
    Ryan,

    I see and understand your point, but you are serving and living in a different time than some of us who served. ALL Americans are what make this country great. You are respected now, as is most of the armed forces. You cannot imagine the atmosphere we returned to, and what it means to us to now have some respect and a "thank you". We were drafted and went proudly (as you do I'm sure) to serve. We were in a difficult position of being in the middle of another countries cival war, and could not identify the enemy visually. We were forced to make judgement calls, and of course, we killed inocents and civilians by mistake. We followed orders without question only to be labeled "baby killers" by the press. We returned home, not to chearing patriots, but instead to spitting hippies. You cannot concieve what it takes to stand a line with the people you served spitting and cursing you for all they are worth. We were shamed. You go ahead and thank your garbage man. I thank mine twice a week. But when someone thanks me 30 years after what I lived through, I appreciate it. You should learn to appreciate the respect you are given. It wasn't always that way.

    Semper Fi, USMC 1968-1972

    Save, research, then buy the best.Join the NRA, NOW!Teach them young, teach them safe, teach them forever, but most of all, teach them to VOTE!
  • robsgunsrobsguns Member Posts: 4,581 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    dheffley,
    Point taken. Hope I wasnt coming across wrong to anyone, I just dont like having people thank me too much, when I feel indebted to people that do so much themselves. I'm sure if I was in your shoes I couldnt be thanked enough for what happen when you returned, I dont know what to say about that. I suppose when you have done something for as long as I have, it really doesnt seem that important anymore, sort of routine. I'd rather have people express appreciation when I've really done something noteworthy, and not so much for the daily, routine tasks. I suppose you know what I mean, but I'm just not putting it quite right. I never really thought of it in this light, but I suppose the thanks the military gets is really more deserved and intended for those like yourself, and not so much those that are in right now, sort of a respecting those who have gone before you type attitude. That makes sense to me. Thanks for enlightening me, I never really thought of it that way. I much prefer to think of it that way, where the thanks should go is to the generation that was before mine anyway, at least in my mind it should, now that I've gotten thinking about it.

    SSgt Ryan E. Roberts, USMC
  • TOOLS1TOOLS1 Member Posts: 6,133
    edited November -1
    dheffly and all Vets. I thank you!
    I myself have never seen combat but know several men who have in WWII, Korea, veitnam and the gulf.
    One friend of mine who was 82nd airborn in Korea just passed away last year. He never once thought that anybody owed him anything for what he did. He was even thankful for the Goverment for sending him to school to learn to weld.
    One thing that all of the war vets I know do talk of is the comunication thay had with friends and family. If it was not for the support from home how or why would thay have been able to do what thay felt had to be done.
    So yes lets also thank every one who supported these men. From the Mail Man to the teacher who taught this young Vetran how to weld, To the people who employed him.
    TOOLS
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