Do you think American soldiers are put on too high of a pedestal

[c172]

My biological father served in Vietnam. He died in '90 from, in a sense, the effects of Agent Orange. 

I live in San Diego, which is largely a military city. I run into active soldiers a fair amount, and they are nothing but polite. Wonderful people to be around. However, some of the Christers around here who never served do what the OP talks about: elevating servicepeople to God status. and it's sad. As somebody said above, I don't get the impression that most soldiers want that kind of ego stroking. all they want is to serve a beloved country (in many cases) and be taken care of humanely at the end of their service and thenceforth. 

Sounds reasonable to me.

[Jackalope]

We don't treat our vets well, and we don't treat our serving soldiers well either. We fellate the effigy of an idea of a joe, but mostly leave them to their own devices.  My entire unit had to buy it's own body armor or go into combat with a cold war era soft flak vest made for tankers..........as infantry.  The fucking insurgents had better gear than we did.  The job sucks, the pay is shit, and you forfeit your rights in doing it.  The only reason -most- people do it, is because they're poor as shit.  They desperately need money for something and lack valuable skills, or the hots and a cot are the most stable life they've ever had, for all that's worth.  Most come out of the service in the same position they went in, or worse off.

To echo Oppo, up above.  I don't want the ass kissing, that's not really for "us", it's for "you".  It makes me uncomfortable.  I know what I did.  If I described it to people for what it was, they might understand how uncomfortable it is to hear someone thank me for my "service".  When I acknowledge another vets service, I'm acknowledging the shit no one talks about.  Letting them know that I understand.  Not congratulating them on some great feat of bravery.

^^^

Likewise it also makes me uncomfortable, and the whole idea that being a veteran somehow gives me the authority to tell anyone what to do or what to believe is anathema to the reasons why I served.

[Jesster]

In my experience (I used to be a soldier), most soldiers don't want all the ass kissing they get. And when statements like the one you mentioned come from someone on the internet, they're automatically suspect. I tend to think they're from couch warriors who never served a day in their life, but who are all for sending others to war.

And if a veteran does make a statement like that, well, combat arms is where many of the lowest ASVAB scorers get sent--particularly infantry.

But really, if some motherfucker thinks he saved the nation because he got sent to Iraq to fight in the stupidest conflict in American history, well, whatever. Trump is President---that's how many stupid motherfuckers there are in this country.

This. The appeal of the ass-kissing attention wore off the first time I received it. I hate being the center of attention, though. The kind of appreciation I really want is my disability pay that mysteriously vanished. The government doesn't take care of veterans nearly enough.

[The Grand Nudger]

Being the center of attention is anathema to what gets drilled into you as a joe.  Anytime you get called out, specifically, it ends poorly, lol.

[SteelCurtain]

I think the attitudes described in the OP are directly correlated to how far removed a person is from boot camp. When I was stationed at MCAS Miramar, there were a lot of young Marines that would love to say, "I didn't sign up to serve my country so that these California hippies can [insert x here]!" Or something similar. They'd never say that in front of their sergeant, but my shore tour was in the G-4 office and there were plenty of young Marines around that didn't think I could hear. I had several conversations, pulling PFCs/LCpls into my office and giving them the gunny hand. Never heard it out of my sailors, but I wouldn't put anything past them, they weren't generally a prideful bunch to begin with though.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Far as I know America doesn't treat it's vets very well, especially if they need help to overcome injuries or PTSD.

Very true, in my experience and based on what I've seen first-hand.

[Crossless2.0]

I didn't serve. However, my brother did and saw more shit in Afghanistan and Iraq than he cares to discuss with anyone in the family other than our uncle, who had similarly harrowing experiences in Vietnam. We once spoke about this (for lack of a better way to put it) ass-kissing attitude that vets encounter, and he said he hates it. If someone thanks him for his service, he obliges them with a "You're welcome" but it makes him uncomfortable -- as if the civilians are trying to assuage their own consciences for . . . well, who knows? Not serving themselves? Allowing the politicians to get us into Iraq in the first place? Working off bad karma for how some Vietnam vets were treated?

Vets certainly deserve our thanks. But it seems to me that the best way we can thank them is to properly look out for them in the first place. And that means not allowing ourselves to be led into questionable wars of choice; not sending young men into combat with inadequate armor; not short-changing their families who struggle to hold things together in their absence; and not just paying lip service to the services and care they need when they return home.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Yeah, any vet who says "I didn't sign up to defend your right to X" is either pretty fucking stupid, or faking it. I haven't met anyone IRL who'd say that sort of shit, and if I did, I'd probably correct: "Excuse me, but yes, you did."

Being the center of attention is anathema to what gets drilled into you as a joe.  Anytime you get called out, specifically, it ends poorly, lol.

lol, I knew I was getting through Basic fine when at mail call one day the DI called my name and looked right through me before I piped up ... he didn't know my name after a month? Shit, that's what my stepdad said I needed to do, stay lo-pro.

[The Grand Nudger]

lol, "Tyler....tyler who the fuck is tyler?  You're tyler, what happened to smith?"
-"who's smith srnt"
"flutter kicks smartass, here's your mail"

[Anomalocaris]

Whether an American soldier should be put on a pedestal depends on whether during his service he became inculcated in the apparently prevalent partisan ethos in the military.