I continually am amazed at the growing up that has occurred in our nation in its treatment of veterans and those who are serving in the military.
I now will explain.
The closet in the entry way of our home contains quite a few ball caps. A couple of them are quasi-military in nature. One of them is a cap that says Army; I bought it at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio while visiting our nephew, who’s serving his country there. The other was a gift from Capt. John Payne, the commanding officer of the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier I visited in 1993 while reporting on a fact finding mission led by U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, D-Texas.
I recently wore the Carl Vinson cap on a brief trip to Allen, Texas, where we welcomed our precious granddaughter into the world. I flew home a few days later, while my wife stayed behind to dote a little more on Emma Nicole.
As I walked through airport security at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport – sporting my Carl Vinson cap – the TSA agent asked me if I had served in the Navy. I said, “No. I served in the Army – a long time ago.”
“Well,” the agent said with a broad smile, “I want to thank you for your service the country.” I thanked the gentleman in return.
Such greetings are fairly common when I wear either of those caps. They remind me of how far we’ve come from the days when military personnel in uniform and veterans were treated much differently, such as during my time in the Army.
I served from 1968 until 1970. The nation was tearing itself apart while debating the Vietnam War. But unlike the debate that has occurred over the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in recent times, opponents of those actions never – not one time – have aimed their rage at the men and women who are carrying out their mission. That wasn’t always the case during the Bad Old Days.
No one ever hurled epithets at me when I returned home from Vietnam. Others did hear them. It is to our collective shame that they received that kind of abuse from their countrymen.
It’s a new day now, though. We have grown up since that terrible time. These days we greet returning service personnel with banners, flags and flowers. We pat them on the back and offer a heartfelt “thank you for your service” to them. That’s the way it always should have been.
This veteran is ever so grateful that this nation has come of age.