"A simple handshake and 'Thank you for your service' really DOES help"

... but not nearly enough.

Who here thinks US veteran homelessness and suicide rates are within reasonable levels and/or are sufficiently funded?

Prevention is better than cure, but if you're going to fuck someone that hard you can at least treat them decently afterwards.

That looks like fun set to that music.

Damn that sarcasm button.

The imagery makes me think of my army service, on the other side of the iron curtain, we used to have a compulsory 2 years (1 year for university graduates after school, fortunately) so all the 18 yo kids got "drafted" for two years, not to war, but you never knew...

Everyone hated to go, hated it while there, it was a total waste of time, buggery, bigotry, boredom, drink and drugs, women, etc.
Everyone counted down the time to go home day by day like in jail.

Yet everyone posed for heroic photographs, preferably with their tanks (our group stood in front of our kitchen :-) and pretended to be manly.

That is how I see Vietnam, scared kids thrown into a difficult to justify war against the local people in a foreign country. Unenviable.

They deserve all the accolades and any help they can be given tenfold. Also they were all heroes if they did not chicken out.

And god bless America (meaning the US of A) if it can come up with a better way to pick wars. Kind of a hint is if you have to "defeat" the whole local population to win, dont start.

Don't do that man. my eyesight started getting blurry and I could hear harps and violins fading in as you reminisce.

Who you're talking about? The US Vets or the Vietnamese people that the USA got no legit reasons to invade? Actually, it's ALWAYS both of these people innit?

I completely agree that both were screwed over. I happened to be talking about the vets because the phrase 'thank you for your service' seems completely hollow to me. Maybe it's a cultural thing that I can't see from the outside.

By 'prevention is better than cure' I meant not going to war in the first place, or at least treating your own side decently if war is 'necessary'.

I think, for humanity's sake, especially since WWI, no war is really that "necessary", there are ample ways for countries to file their grivances and seek restitution. War propaganda is the age old version of "toxic masculinity" politicians & the MIC love to impressed upon easily persuaded youths & the gullibles to fight for heir own political & financial agenda.

Every tax dollar going into the military is a dollar taken away from other social services. People have to decide what's the balance. But name me the last year that the US gov't have decreased military spending and upped social services (or lower taxes)?

"Thank you for your service".... ha! Easily said than done. Just look at how much governments reaaaaaally put their moeny into VA services to help the Vets in need.