Happy Veterans Day 2015!

Thoughts are welcomed. Opinions are welcomed. But the post was about honoring veterans - not opinions or thoughts (my opinion).

Honor = Respect.

Praise = Admiration.

I don't admire one darn thing about what I or Gawa.. Had to do. I respect it though.

Open another thread, ask your questions. But be aware of the plethora of viewpoints on these hard topics.

Guys, please move this little debate to another thread, it's really not the thread for this kind of thing...

I wish I could have made it hope it went well

Gawa, I was serious about talking it through. When I was discharged, I had a tough time dealing with things from my time in, and talking about it with people helped. The quote you used about PMing me was about a far different topic, and you've conveniently not included it.

I did want to know what branch you were in, because it would help us understand what you went through. A good friend of mine was in an IED attack that killed two of his friends. He has cake on that day every year, calls it "Boom Day", because hiding and fearing something only gives it power. He has been blown up, shot twice, had gasoline poured on him while on guard duty, used vice grip pliers to stop arterial bleeding, and he sleeps well at night, because he is well adjusted. I believe that through the right therapy, you can move on as well.

I did want to talk about your issue, and by simply pointing out that you were making contradictory statements, it earned your response about 'entertaining' me. I try to explain that you're not really helping your cause, and you mock me. Anyone would get defensive in that position, and yet I still offered to help. Whether you believed me or not is your issue, as is your choice to continue to cling to the idea that you're somehow in the right by complaining on a forum instead of actually doing something that might help, even though the only other opinionated veteran on here (who has been a beacon of respect, far more than I have) has already expressed that you've offended him. Way to make friends.

Becoming a politician is the ONLY thing that can help, or talking to one. If you really were military, you know that no soldier can effect policy, without appealing to the people actually making it. Last time I checked, the people making policy and sending our country overseas were called politicians. Not Minecraft Players, not veterans (unless they're in office). And your remark about making money by becoming a politician only reinforces the need to replace them. By being snarky on the internet, you solve nothing.

I refrained from typing paragraphs before, simply because I was hoping to get my point across without talking your ear off, and because it's not easy to type on a tablet. It seems now that you don't really want to feel better, because there are a plethora of methods you can use. Instead, you come onto a forum celebrating honor, courage, and commitment, and you tell us all how we're doing it wrong.

But, even though you've attempted to vilify me for offering to help, and quoted an old post which doesn't relate to the issue at hand at all, I'm still here to listen if you want to talk it out. If not, which I honestly would understand at this point, at least find a therapist, pastor, or close friend to talk to. You can't carry this alone.

It's hard to take what you posted as being serious in any form. Especially considering our history on the forums.

I am sorry you had to go through what you did and that your friend had to go through what he did. I think you and mystul have both taken what I said completely out of context because of what you both quoted. "Do not praise their service" this came with an obvious caveat that was impossible to miss. Appeal to humanity and the humanity of those around you that persisting with this ridiculous never ending campaign does not benefit us in any way.

Politicians don't decide if we go to war. Politicians are puppets. WE decide if we go to war. WE are ignorant of what is going on and WE don't spread the truth regardless of the backlash. No politician was ever beside me for one moment in the entirety of my service. I did that. You did that. Politicians only do what they can get away with. Participating in their system will get you no where but dragged in. Teaching others IS how you stop wars. Showing that humility, compassion and empathy are something that we are all capable of. Especially the young soon to be men and women that are the next you and I. You think this isn't the place to appeal to the cause of peace? Tell that to hitler and his youth that nearly took over the world by being persuaded easily and in their own "forum."

Every time I hear a teenager talk about the military I immediately let them know that I was in and ask them why they want to join, what they think is going to happen, what they hope to get out of it. These are the people that will end the wars, not old rich men that could care about anything but their image and pension.

I don't have a chip on my shoulder. I have skeletons in my closet. I have motivation to push forward and try to effect this world in a positive way that isn't superfluous or self serving. The things veterans have seen are worse than nightmares. The pictures I have on my hard drive, the trophies of men that were so disconnected from reality that they couldn't even identify themselves if they were standing in front of a mirror. I understand what I went through, what they went through. I don't want that for anyone. If my trying to prevent that makes me broken, so be it. If me being fixed means that I sweep it under the rug, act like it's ok, don't take action that I believe will help then I don't need it, I don't want it.

Thank you for your response. I truly do appreciate it. It puts into perspective your responses more clearly but I don't think it detracts from what I have said. Happy armistice day buffalo.

But we don't need to claim one, right?

There's nothing that says you have to, but you can if you want to