I’m from a military family. My ancestors were members of the military in Germany in the 19th century, and when they finally immigrated to the United States around the turn of the century, a lot of the men went into the US Army, because it was tradition in my family. It still is. At least one guy from every section of my family has been in the military.
The ONLY FUCKING REASON I said “No” to the military early in life was because I could see the effects of it in the people around me. Both of my parents work at the VA in my hometown. I spent more time in a hospital as a young child than most people who don’t have health issues will in their first 30 years of life. And you know what I saw?
The effects of war. I saw veterans suffering from PTSD every day, yet they always put on a smile for me and tried to sugarcoat when I asked about the military because I was an 8 year old. At age 8, I was being steered away from the military by a bunch of people who had been victims of the US military, yet I still didn’t know how bad it could get.
And then my mom got transferred to the mental health ward of the VA, and I got my first look at what war really did to you. At age 12, I swore to myself that I would never go into the military, no matter what they offered me. I wasn’t going to be like the people I grew up around. Oh, they were lovely, kind individuals for the most part, but they’d warned me to not make their mistakes, and I agreed that I wouldn’t.
Oh yeah, I got recruitment officers. I was a band kid from a military family, of course I got just about every branch trying to convince me to join them. I said no every time.
I had to say no to a guaranteed paycheck that would allow me to play clarinet. I had to look a Marine officer dead in the eyes and tell him I’d rather risk not having the money for food than join the military. All because I grew up seeing what could happen to me if I had joined.
So really, be anti-war. Be anti-military. No one is saying you all can’t. But do NOT be a dick to veterans. There is so much at work here, and sometimes, you’re desperate, and the military has their ways of trying to convince you that they’re the best choice.
Hawkeye said it best. “War is war and hell is hell, but of the two, war is a lot worse.” Don’t be a dick. If someone has PTSD, don’t fucking set it off. Simple. It doesn’t matter if they’re a veteran or a survivor of abuse. If someone has PTSD, DO NOT SET THEM OFF.