My eldest son, who served in the Navy for 10 years, yesterday revealed that he didn't know how to respond to people who say upon hearing of his background, "Thank you for your service."
I am a Veteran, technically, of the Vietnam era. My three years of service in the Women's Army Corps fell within the designated years of that conflict. These days, however, I'm thanked for "my" service based on the dependent's ID card I flash for the 10% discount at Home Depot or Lowe's, or as identification when trying to board an airplane (The Loud is an Army vet with 20 years of service).
Recently I've come up with a reply to the knee-jerk "Thank you for your service" the store clerks are trained to spout upon seeing my card. I look them straight in the eye and say, "You're very welcome, but if you really want to thank me: make sure you vote."
It's surprising how taken aback some are, and I can only hope that it gives them enough of a pause that they can connect the dots between my service and their rights. If they don't bother to exercise them, they've wasted my time.
Good for you, Carolyn!
ReplyDelete