I agree. I was involved in frequent wind, the fall of saigon. Ran refugees in an lcm-8. Tail end of vietnam. Iced down beer in the ammo can. Did not wade rice patties.You nailed it. I enlisted at the tail end of the war in Vietnam. Came home from Basic & my tech school to see my mom and was walking to the Winchell's donut shop where she was working in my slick-sleeve dress blues. Got spat at and called a baby killer. Spitter was in a car passing by, but missed me. Closest I ever got to Vietnam was the water off of Santa Catalina Island where I went fishing a couple of year before I enlisted. When I went to Desert Shield/Desert Storm nearly 20 years later, I was astonished at the support we were getting. It still creeps me out a little bit to be thanked for my service, and I've been retired for as long as I was in the Air Force, now. I'll take my discounts where I can get them. Senior or Military. Heck, I'm going to school to learn to be a machinist, and that's because of a tuition waiver because I was at Desert Storm. That saved me $1800. A 10% discount for military service about covers the sales tax. I'll take it, when I can get it. I don't figure I'm owed it, but I pick up pennies when I find them, too. I remember when a penny was serious money, and there have been times in my life when a small handful of change was the difference between being ok and seriously hungry.
Bill
They told us at boot camp not to wear our uniforms on liberty beyond the required uniformed first liberty as people out there hated us. We got called names, a soda slung at us. I did 12 years.
There was no such thing as veterans discounts, “thank you for your service”, or guys wearing veterans hats.
Nobody owes me a discount, I do not expect it. I joined and would do it again. I WILL damn sure take it if offered and appreciate it. I aporeciate the 100% the va gives me, the no sales, property taxes and other Freebies OK gives me.
I also appreciate the attitude toward us at this point at least in red states.
We older veterans tend to look at these things differently as many of us saw the bad side and this is our late welcome home.
Also, the way I see it is that somebody somewhere decided veterans, and maybe other groups, would pay 10% less. They take this into consideration, they are not losing anything. That’s my price, I just have to show a code. But it’s predetermined before I even go in the store that I will pay 90.00 on a 100.00 item. If I don’t pay that price it’s on me. It’s not a temporary thing.
I can refuse that, anybody can it’s their money, but paying 100.00 instead of 99.00 means tipping them 11.11%. Lowes and home depot ( or anywhere with the offer) thanks you very much.
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