Are Military Vets More Deserving Than Single Civilian Parents?
Why America should reconsider its near-worship of military vets and retirees
“Thank you for your service.”
I’ve heard that phrase so many times that I’m really, truly tired of it. Yes, I spent 20 years in the Navy, and yes, I nearly died (and have the scars from 140+ stitches and staples on my scalp to prove it), but please stop thanking me for my service! Why? Because most military retirees view our service with deep gratitude for having had the opportunity to serve.
I joined in 1981, and our military was still in a post-Vietnam funk. Morale was low, and it showed in our uniforms, our conduct, and in the material condition of our ships, installations, and equipment. Pay was relatively low, new recruits were no longer eligible for the Vietnam G.I. Bill for college benefits, and many of us were ashamed to be seen in uniform off base.
When I took the Oath of Enlistment, Reagan had been president for just over eight months. Over the next seven years-and-change, the military — and America’s attitude towards the military — was transformed. Some of it had to do with Hollywood’s action flicks starring Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, and others. There were movies like “Top Gun”, part of which was filmed on my ship, the…
