Veteran's Day Question

[ncweo]

I've wondered this for several years now. Veterans Day is a day to honor veterans obviously. So who exactly is included in the definition of "veteran" for veteran's day? Is there an official answer?? Is someone that served in the National Guard or Reserves but was never activated a veteran? They are not a veteran by definition (at least my understanding for veteran's benefits) because they never served on active duty for reasons other than training. Just curious. As always, thanks for your replies.

[Bob Hudson]

I've wondered this for several years now. Veterans Day is a day to honor veterans obviously. So who exactly is included in the definition of "veteran" for veteran's day? Is there an official answer?? Is someone that served in the National Guard or Reserves but was never activated a veteran? They are not a veteran by definition (at least my understanding for veteran's benefits) because they never served on active duty for reasons other than training. Just curious. As always, thanks for your replies.

 

 

For purposes of benefits, that activation is necessary.

 

But, I would say that generically a veteran is anyone who took the oath of enlistment: National Guard and Reserve members who never left the US made the same commitment as those who were the first wave on the beach at D-Day.

 

It could be argued that most veterans never did anything other than training. My dad spent 20 years in the Navy beginning in the late 1940's and only once was in a unit that mobilized for "the real thing" and that was when the carrier USS Essex went on the alert to provide air cover for Marines landing in Lebanon in 1958 in one of those missions that has long since been forgotten. The rest of his 20 years was pretty much spent training and maintaining to be ready for the real thing.

 

By the way the National Guard oath is mostly the same as that for the regular services:

 

"I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of (STATE NAME) against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of (STATE NAME) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations. So help me God. "

 

For the regular services, the ending goes like this:

 

"and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."

[316th FS 324th FG]

My only addition to Bob's comments is that currently serving men and women are veterans, and that former service men and women, their discharge must be honorable.

[mvmhm]

I disagree! Taking the oath, regardless of how long you served, or where you served..sure, that's makes you a veteran...HOWEVER - the character of your service does NOT determine if you a re a "real" veteran...when you're discharged, you can be an honorably dishcarged veteran...or you can be a dishonorable discharged veteran.....as anothe example...even you can still be buried in a National Cemetery even if you didn't get an HonorableDischarge...basically the only thing that will keep you out is if you have a Dishonorable Discharge, or you could have had an Honorable Discharge, but were later convicted of a captial crime, like Timothy McVay...Bronze Star recipient, Honorable Discharge, etc....but his crimes/sentence made him ineligble for burial in a National Cemetery.....it didn't use to be that way though...there was a case in the 1980's (I think), where a vet was buried in a National Cemetery, even though he had committed some heinous crime...don;t recall the details, but that's what caused them to change the regs....

 

 

Mark sends

[hard stripe]

I signed an oath also, a blank check to the Governor of my state & the president of the united states up to & including my life, I am not considered a veteran by any government agency, I have no regret. I did my time, & owe no one any thing. yeah I know this post is over 4 yrs old