December 15, 2007 4:40 PM
Say thank you to our armed forces
Thursday night I was leaving the "Winter Concert" (formerly known as Christmas Concerts before the current tyranny of the minority in in this country) at Harmony when I saw a serviceman and finally did something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I shook his hand and thanked him.
I was hoping this was okay and not too awkward.
So today I was really grateful to receive this from my friend Martha:
Pass it on!!
Posted in Current Affairs | Permalink
Comments
My hubby is military, and I promise you, it is so okay to do that! Just a kind smile can go miles!
Posted by: Sandy | December 15, 2007 5:04 PM
Not sure if this is supposed to be 'correct' sign language or not? B/c that is not the sign for thank you. The sign for thank you is done by touching your hand to your mouth and bringing it down as shown here :
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/t/thankyou.htm
Just wondering why they did not use the correct sign?
:)
Love Samantha
Posted by: Samantha | December 16, 2007 12:03 AM
As the wife of a servicemember, I always appreciate it when my husband is in uniform and someone, especially strangers, come up and thank him. It reminds me that the seperation, dangers, and sacrifices we make are noticed and appreciated. Once when he was deployed and I was struggling to keep my toddler happy and entertained, a total stranger picked up on the fact that daddy was gone serving. She thanked me, gave me a hug, and shared with me about when her husband was deployed during the Vietnam War. You might think being hugged by a total stranger would be awkward, but it somehow helped me have strength to make it through another day of single parenting. So don't worry about awkwardness! I say keep it up, and thanks!
Posted by: Karen | December 16, 2007 7:24 AM
Samantha, I thought about that too, but then I figure it might mean something like "from the bottom of my heart" kind of thing. Or at least that's what it means to me, or how I will feel when I use it.
If we use the correct sign for "thank you" someone who doesn't know what it means might think we are sending them kisses :-)
Posted by: LadyLovas | December 17, 2007 3:13 PM
Previous commenters Sandy and Karen said everything I was going to say. Please- do. Go up to any soldier, sailor, airman or marine you see, thank him. Often, without hesitation. Donate to or volunteer with the USO.
And thank you, Barbara, for putting this out there. I liked that it said in the video "It's not political." How completely true. We have a volunteer force, who are away from their homes and families, in danger's way, for months and months on end, and then there are people who have the audacity to be ugly about these servicemen. They can't hear enough how many people appreciate what they've done. I don't want praise for myself, though it's given- I want my husband to get all the kudos. He does an unusally difficult job which I cannot describe here and is mid-deployment now.
So, do thank them. If he's in uniform, thank him.
-Mrs. G, wife to an Army officer
Posted by: K. G. | December 17, 2007 6:26 PM
