Originally Posted by
Pearly White
This smacks of tokenism. If the airline or the government wants to do something that truly recognises veterans, they could start by asking them what they need. This might mean the airline offers discounts, better seat allocation, or, in the government's case, properly funding services that care for the veteran's mental and physiological health post-discharge.
The reason they love this in the USA is they are fond of openly displaying their "virtues" and the simple fact that Defence spending powers the economic engine of the country. It's about all they have left that they still make there.
I can remember close relatives who witnessed - and even carried out - unspeakable acts on behalf of their country in WW2. None of them wanted to talk about it. The only comment I recall from a twice shot-down Stirling and Wellington pilot was "we went too far" (about Dresden). Reminding them or asking them to recount stories of their service reopened too many old wounds. We weren't encouraged to ask and in some cases were sharply reprimanded if we did.
And another thing... They could own up to and fund the care of the poor servicemen and women, and their surviving families, for the horrendous and often terminal health damage caused by things like fuel exposure cleaning out F1-11 fuel tanks, instead of spending squillions on lawyers fighting their claims every step of the way. The government has behaved as badly as James Hardie Industries did about the asbestos. Shame on them all.