What do you ask a war vet?
by David Sommerstein on February 17th, 2011
This question has come up countless times for me since 2001, when 10th Mountain Division soldiers were among the first to ship off to Afghanistan. (It’s fascinating going back to the media scrum when those soldiers returned home in 2002.) The question, “what do I not ask?” is even more important as I interview soldiers and vets.
Here’s a great essay on what to ask and what not to ask a vet, from a prominent retired Army blogger. With so many veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan across the North Country, it’s worth a read to do what we civilians can to make their post-war lives easier.
Tags: 10th Mountain Division, war
Actually, I don’t think you should ask them anything. If you know one and they want to talk, then listen. If not, respect their privacy.
Thanks for the link, David. The comments from vets after the article were as insightful as the article itself, especially the varying reactions to being thanked by civilians and how vets think they should respond, or not.