Showing respect to veterans

By Sam Erickson

Feature Writer

With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan finally winding down, more veterans are returning to their daily lives. This means you are more likely to encounter service members at work, in the classroom or in your community. While they were at war, most veterans knew they were being supported back home.

Once their service was over, that more vocal support can diminish, and it can be hard to know who has served their country. There are several steps you can take to make sure that you are still supporting the troops once they are out of uniform.

One simple thing you can do when you find out that someone has been in the military is to thank them for their service and allow them to take the reins and lead the conversation. Don’t pry. Some veterans will be eager to talk about their experiences, while others will be more reticent. Continued nagging questions can be irritating to those who do not wish to discuss their experiences.

Many people benefit from a day off on Veterans Day. As the only day set aside to honor living veterans, one way you can show respect is by taking some of that additional free time and acting on your support for the troops. Many cities organize celebrations and ceremonies to honor veterans. Gather your friends and family to attend these services and demonstrate your commitment to support the troops.

You can apply these ideas to all of the veterans in your life, whether they served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Korea or World War II. Respecting veterans isn’t just about putting flags on your lawn or affirming your support for the troops. It is about understanding the complex and often horrific experiences that veterans have endured in order to serve their country and allowing those veterans to make choices about when and where to share their stories.

Military service can be a very tricky situation. Most veterans are fiercely proud of their service, but many are quiet about their actions in the military. Some are open about their experiences, while a few resent the time they spent in the service.

By following these simple steps, you can demonstrate respect for the very different responses to military service and help reintegrate veterans into civilian life while honoring the work they did on the country’s behalf.

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