I read your post a bit ago and had to think about your comments. So - are you saying that those of us who do wear ball caps celebrating our service are in the wrong? I guess that I should infer that you have either never served in a service that you are proud of - or that you feel that commemorating a service or event is beneath you - and that we're just "old men" when we don't wear our hats.
Allow me to straighten you out slightly: During our war, we were brought home in small groups and often in the dark of night to reduce the crowds and insults we would have waiting for us (or, as in my case, we were shuffled from hospital to hospital in blacked-out buses), far from the public eye. We were not encouraged to wear our uniforms, for fear of further antagonizing the "antiwar" (pro-enemy) demonstrators who were enthusiastically carrying the enemy's flag and chanting slogans supporting the enemy. We had movies and TV series made about us that routinely showed us as atrocity-committing Nazis, or maniacs about go violently crazy at any point - so getting a job after discharge was sometimes dicey.
Page forward to today. I occasionally wear my Vietnam Veteran hat because I am proud that I served in combat and lost muscle, blood and bone for my country. I am proud of our service in our war and what good, competent people we were. Most of all, I wear the hat so when another Vietnam Veteran sees me, we can talk, share stories and remember together.
Now, if some younger person thanks me for my service I am slightly surprised but respond warmly because this is a new generation - and I like them better than my generation.
Chainmail,
Thanks for your service. Draftee or volunteer matters not.
I was a kid when you were serving. I spent most of my adult life a volunteer, combat arms, 11 and 21 enlisted and commissioned. I too leaked and left small parts elsewhere. I certainly understand your experience from history, and make it policy to thanks other vets when the opportunity to do presents.
I’d just rather be the one offering thanks than being thanked.
As to whether or not folk who advertise their service bring wrong, not at all. The OP seemingly has a complex, first somehow he IDs publicly as a vet then complains about trite recognition etc. That guy , real or conceptual, had a problem, and my comments were to that mentality.
Btw, usually we went and returned w/o fanfare from and to an AAF, or, if a charter to a comm Apt, to buses on the flight line. Only once as an individual passenger, I flew general commercial once stateside and in civvies as required. Did I thank you for your service? Not everybody was contrary to you guys during the Vietnam eta. My family supported uncle’s and cousins. Funny though, I am the only one in my generation that served.