Thanking a soldier...

My son was allowed to come home for Christmas since he deploys next week to a war zone for two years.

While he was home and wearing his uniform I could not help but to notice how he felt very uneasy anytime some one thanked him for serving our country.

I asked him why he felt so awkward and he informed me that he did not want to be thanked for doing his job. He feels like he should thank us for paying taxes that allows him to serve in the military.

Though I still continue to thank all our men and women who serve I often think about what my son said and wonder how many of our military personal feel the same way as my son....

Any thoughts? Any soldiers want to share their view?

"if you don't stand behind our troops, you're more than welcome to stand in front of them"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Amen! I strongly support that saying and our troops!

Though my feelings about the politics of war are reflected by the post above me, I would like to say that I feel a special bond and feel honored that a soldier who left this site for the fear of wikki leaks
keeps in touch

I cannot say enough about sons and daughters that risk their necks

http://www.poems-and-quotes.com/life/poems.php?id=179013

It was a mother like sherry that inspired me

I have always used the quote long before my son enlisted...

I did not start this thread over our feelings about the wars, but since it is brought up....

Our feelings about whether or not we should be at war should have nothing to do with our feeling about those who have been thrown into it.

I am sure that the majority of our military would choose to stay home with their families instead of being forced to go out of the country with so many questions and fears lingering in the air.

Our father's, mother's, son's, and daughter's relentlessly and selfishly continue to answer the call of duty forsaking all others at a moments notice to put their lives on the line for those of us left behind for some reason or another.

Michael, the poem is beautiful! I am sure that the person whom it was written for is honored and elated that her son returned home unharmed.

Hello, I was sent this link by a friend.
I am currently enlisted in the U.S. Navy. I have deployed to Afghanistan and I am currently stationed in Japan.

Most of us think that we shouldn't be thanked. I am one. the reason I think that is because, I joined so that I can protect family, friends and people that I don't know. I chose to protect the country for my when I have a family, my children can waqlk around with no fear.

"Fighting for my country comes free, I would do it even if it didn't pay."

Andd this frieendd is meeee :P :)
i am glad you posted this..

Bob, you are absolutely RIGHT!!
Sorry I only read the first post; but now I read the whole thread..I have the same thoughts and opinions as yours regarding this subject.

First of all, Bob, this thread was about thanking a soldier not whether or not you feel the government is bleeped up.

With that said I will gladly stand beside an military personal whether they are paid or not.

My son chose to go in the Army to help protect our country not for the money. The military does not pay our men and women nearly enough for all the bullshit they go through.

You say that you would not allow your son to go, but trust me, once they are of age you have very little rights and you can choose to either support their decision and watch them go away in order to keep them or you can try to sabotage them in an effort to keep them home and in the end lose them.

Don't set here and turn this thread about our soldiers into a thread about our government... they are two separate issues. If you want to bitch and moan about our government then feel free to start a new thread or better yet... voice your disgust at the voting booth and campaign for the person you want to represent your area and country.

NOW.... BACK TO OUR SOLDIERS!!!! I want to hear your thoughts on being thanked/complimented and why or why not.

'he did not want to be thanked for doing his job. He feels like he should thank us for paying taxes that allows him to serve in the military.'

^^
I would agree with this view. I mean, do people in America stop teachers, bin collectors, nurses etc on the street to thank them for doing their profession too? Being a soldier is a job, people sign up for it... In doing so, unfortunatly they sign up to be instruments of government policy, I dont think a soldier can turn around and say 'Im not doing my job because I didnt vote for that president...' I imagine many people upon entering the military dont see this and that's the tragic bit in my eyes.

'I have more respoect for a teacher who is walking down the street, sees a building on fire and without hesitation runs in to save an infant, than I do a cop, firefighter or soldier, why, because he does it out of love for humanity without pay...that's a hero'
^^
Agreed.

"if you don't stand behind our troops, you're more than welcome to stand in front of them".

^^
I dont like this viewpoint at all. Its a very biased way of thinking, I wonder was a similar phrase touted in Nazi Germany perhaps? It sounds a bit like propaganda to me. Im sure not all soldiers are angels or 'heroes.' Personally, I could support some soldiers, but I think my support would more readily go to ordinary hardworking people. They didnt sign up to take part in wars, or put themselves in the possible situation of killing another person, a father maybe, who is fighting on the other side, and for what or for whom? A lot depends on context. If I were back in ww2 days, I would be a lot more thankful to soldiers. But then again if I was German or Japanese I would probably be thanking my soldiers for killing Allies...

Everyone thinks that ALL soldiers go to war to "kill" the enemy.

Not all soldiers will fire a gun. My son is one who will not ever fire a weapon unless it is a do or die situation. It is not because he is chicken, but merely that he has so much respect for human life that he avoided a career that would place him on the front line.

Is he trained to shoot? Yes, but the chances that he will ever have to shoot his weapon outside of training is slim.

There are many military personal that are trained in other areas instead of fighting.

And yes, as a teacher I am often thanked for my time, efforts, and energy towards our younger generations.

And I have seen nurses thanked as well!

Britt my point was that I dont like that quote because it encoruages or implies blind following of an army or war. Obviously nazis were the instigators of ww2, but just because you are American doesnt mean your troops or army are always in the right.. Im sure many German people fully supported the nazi army, it didnt mean they were right. I was posing the question that if you were brought up in different circumstances, a different country for example, what 'side' would you support in a war?

Its good to see teachers nurses etc being thanked also. But just like soldiers I think its probably natural for many of them to get embarassed to be thanked.

And I know not all soldiers are 'killers' obviously especially as technology develops, its not like trench warfare anymore.

We all train with weapons. It's part of the training that we go through. I was deployed to Afghanistan in May 2009. While I was out there I thought that I was going to be on the "front Line" but, I was.

It's not a war that we fight. Most people don't hear the message that we recieve when we go to a "combat zone". the message is simple: " We are here to help them. We are here to win the hearts of those that chose to assist America. We do not want to start a fight with them. we are defending our lives if a fight does break out. We are also defending our loved one's at home."

We do not fight to kill. We fight to disable. When we fire a weapon we aim for shoulders and legs. If we disable our enemy, they can't harm us.

I lost two of my best when I was in Afghanistan. I witnessed their end. For me to explain to their loved one's what happened and how they died is the hardest thing anyone could ever do.

We don't like getting thanked because, we all share the same common goal. "To defend the one's we love." We all look out for each other, no matter what. We feel bad when people thank us because, We chose to do it.

"I need no pay from the government for defending my family. For me to risk my life for the millions of people that live in this country, comes free. If I could I would die a million times just to keep doing this."

_ LS3 Walker

Do not dislike anything that we do. Cherish us because, we aren't guaranteed the next minute in our life. Anything can go wrong. Even in a warehouse someone can lose their life.

As far as not needing to invade other countries.
We don't. we like to provide help for those that are unfortunate to get it. we don't like war either but, if it comes down to it we just do it.

I'd thank anyone who I actually felt was defending me, or my family from danger. I'd thank a fire fighter, or a police man if they helped me. Lol over here in Scotland, we thank everyone in a day to day way, we even thank bus drivers.

I don't have similar feelings about people who enlist in the armed services and go off to some distant land. I'm not saying it isn't an admirable thing to do, it very well might be, but it's not really defending me and it's not like they were pulled in by a draft, they volunteered to go fight.

Until the barbarian hordes come running over the hill......

Bob,

Don't push me. I gave you one warning and that is it. Next time I will penalize. You are free to start another thread about the government. Hell, I even started one for you.

Going off topic is not what's wrong in this thread. Disrespecting a woman whose son is a soldier and is risking his life for his country - no matter what your beliefs are - is what's wrong in this thread. No one asked what your personal stances are (unless you yourself are a soldier), but many of you feel the need to state them at all times even at the expense of others.

I understand the topic is a heavy one and many people would like to discuss it outside the realms of a mother giving thanks to her son, but do so in another thread.

A quote for you all to follow in this particular thread is, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."

I could really care less how many times you want to accuse the mods of being biased or unfair, Bob. As I've said before, there are more efficient ways of having your voice heard.

Sherry Lynn,

I will only respond to your initial post, because I don't have time to read all that is said from that point on.

Your son looks just like mine, only the hair color is different. I think they must be about the same age( mine is 20) I can only imagine how proud you must be to have a child that is brave enough to go to a country far away in the knowledge that one day he might die a terrible death.

To be proud of your job is the only right way to have a job.

As a mother I think I would be scared to see him leave, would have sleepless nights..but then again, people get molested, killed, raped, mugged every day here too. I would not have stopped him, if he had wanted to go too( we are participants in some of the same wars as the US is)

Children should be allowed to make up their own minds about how they want to live their lives once they are adults.

As a person, I don't think war is the answer to anything. I don't agree on killing people, no matter the reasons anyone might have to justify such an act.

I understand your viewpoints and I'm not for what's going on in the Middle East either, but I am against anyone trying to crush the intent of this particular thread. The "discussion" was going great in your opinion, and if it was in another thread then I'd probably think so too. Do you understand me?

Lately we have been allowing off topic discussions as long as the thread poster is ok with it. Here it's obvious that Sher is not ok with the direction this thread has headed and we should therefore respect that. That's all.

"NOW.... BACK TO OUR SOLDIERS!!!! I want to hear your thoughts on being thanked/complimented and why or why not."

This is what the thread poster would like us to discuss. That the thread poster is a mod doesn't have to do with anything. All thread posters are given the choice to allow off topic comments and to request that mods close the thread if they feel it is being continually misused.

With Bob here.

Anyway, I see "being a soldier" as a really interesting job. I'd much rather be introduced to a soldier at a party than someone who works, say, in the vague and mysterious and totally boring land of "I.T.". Shuddddder. Even I.T. people don't like talking about I.T... I mean, does anyone get what that even means?

Yes, very stimulating and I hope the discussion can be carried on over to another thread.
I'm trying to be fair to everyone and I'd like to think I would have made the same posts if any of you were in Sher's position here...

Choosing not to use the thread that Sher created for this discussion to continue [Bash the Government] is understandable, and every PnQ member is more than welcome to start up a new thread with any topic they choose as long as it's not breaking rules.

Fair enough.

I understand both Bob's and Jane's positions here. In any case, I don't think it's a good idea to start a thread on the main forums unless you're prepared to deal with some opinions that differ drastically from yours, or if you can anticipate where the topic can lead. This is a very personal thread, and so very sensitive to Sherry. Jane has to honour Sherry's feelings about this. But, as I said, I don't think it's suitable, or even fair, to open a topic here without expecting (if not inviting) some... colour from our poetic hearts.

Bob,

It's not just "hijacking" a thread, but it is the fact that most of your post are overbearing and make a person feel insulted and totally put down.

I am sick of the bull crap and the disregard for human feelings.

I am requesting that this thread be locked and deleted... I would do it myself but then I would have to listen to you holler that I am being biased.

As far as other opinions.. Hell I even started another thread for you all to do all the bashing you want...

It's a difficult issue to shape a rule around.

I will wait 15 minutes to see if anyone else has something they would like to add, in a respectful manner, before locking the thread.

In that case, feel free to start up a thread of your own. We'll protect it from becoming a romper room.

"I imagine I'm about to get highly offended for the next 18 years...lol"

Probably longer than 18 years! I'm not a parent but I think it's safe to say parenting doesn't stop once the kid turns 18, haha.

Really? I expect you to outlive all of us.

Alright, I gave 15 minutes as promised and now this thread will be locked.

Once more, please do start up another thread for those of you who would like to continue the discussion on war and government, etc.