From "Don't Say 'Thank You For Your Service' This Monday", Heard on All Things Considered
JAMES DOUBEK
"I hope you're having a meaningful day."
That might be one of the better things to say to a veteran this Monday. You should probably avoid the common refrain, "Thank you for your service," according to someone who should know.
"On Memorial Day, the veteran you're talking to may be going through a bit of melancholy remembering people who died over the years," says Navy veteran Luke Visconti, who also co-founded the website DiversityInc, which wrote about the subject recently.
As most people are aware (or should be), Memorial Day and Veterans Day serve different purposes.
Veterans Day is to honor the service of people who have worn the uniforms of the armed forces.
Memorial Day is intended to remember those who died while serving.
Visconti encourages those who want to say supportive words to a veteran to recognize "that the person may have friends who died in combat."
As far as saying thank you goes, "I don't need to be thanked for my service," he tells NPR's Michel Martin. "I think it's become kind of a platitude, toss-away thing to say."
Memorial Day and Veterans Day have separate origins going back to two different wars: the Civil War and World War I.
