How to express gratitude to a veteran

By Lawrence J. Litterst, Jr., of St. Cloud

Veteran of two tours in Vietnam

Thank you for your service has become the commonplace phrase in addressing a veteran of any of our many conflicts. Certainly, it is more polite and appreciated than the remarks which greeted many Vietnam veterans upon our return home. It seems, however, more of a platitude than a sincere expression of gratitude for something that the speaker understands and appreciates. Especially for a veteran you know well.

I have been scribbling my thoughts on this matter for the six years since my epiphany at my 50th Anniversary of Returning Home. And, tonight, it struck me that the appropriate accolade depends upon the relationship between the giver and the veteran.

Perhaps an expression other than Thank you for your service would be more appropriate in some cases. Although Thank you for your service seems appropriate from a stranger or a casual acquaintance.

Some veterans prefer Welcome home. I appreciate that expression. It’s a positive greeting which confers one’s gratitude by welcoming veterans back into that which they most likely missed the most. It offers peace of mind. This expression seems very appropriate from one veteran to another.

It seems more personal than Thank you for your service for it recognizes a principal element of their service shared universally by those in uniform overseas. Their absence from the people, places, and activities longed for while serving elsewhere.

But, for veterans you know, like friends and family, Welcome home only partly captures the gratitude a service person should earn for living in the dangerous and anxious environments of a military conflict. It reflects the impact of living apart from those most important in their lives, but not the worry about the safety of their service buddies and the prevalence of fear and dread. Of harm suffered, and harm witnessed. Of the gaps in one’s normal life, and the suspension of their lives from their dreams.

Thank you for your sacrifices better touches these chords. This more clearly projects the speaker’s understanding of the costs incurred during their friend’s service. Regardless of the righteousness of the particular conflict, this accolade appreciates the core anxieties encountered and suffered by the veteran during any conflict in which they have served.