Veteran "Special Names"

Just curious, but is there any way that someone can tell if a member is a Veteran? I'm thinking along the lines of either stating "Veteran" under the members name or going all the way to saying where and how they served. I think that could be useful and interesting when posting in a thread. I know that you could probably check the members profiles to see what they did, but I think this would perhaps be another way to "honor" the Veterans in the forum.

 

We do have some veterans over here, Nathan. The most important - or active if you want to see it that way - is a sapper from the Royal Engineers, sapper.

I am sure we have others, but I don't remember right now.

Mr sapper's most excellent thread: Sword Beach to Bremen. A veteran's tale.

 

We also have B-17 Sam, Bish, Paul E, and several others.

 

Don't forget Art! He is here often with his great stories!!!!

 

Thanks Stevin, glad you posted it as I was just about to do so.

Also, lets not forget Steve from FloriDUH, who is a US Army MP. Also, Bill Smith was in the USAF and helped in the evacuation of Americans from Saigon.

 

Yeah, I know there is quite a few Veterans who are on here. What I was talking about was, having some type of "notation" or something with each of the Veteran's names. It would kinda be like the member rankings and special names like "General". Only in this case, it would say "Veteran" or even something like "B-17 Pilot 8th Air Force" (or whatever they did).

 

Cuckoo is also a vet, I believe, but not here very often. I saw him the other day, though.

I don't know if the vets want to have attention drawn to the fact they are vets. I welcome this suggestion, though, as they deserved to be recognized as such. Maybe Otto could give them the option and then it is up to them if they want it. On the other hand, Otto is very busy as it is with his own work and work on this site....

I personally wouldn't like to put this before him after I have been badgering him into several updates to this site...Certainly not now his fist is healed...(I assume it is...)

 

Yeah, if it was possible, it definately should only be done if they want it to. Where I see so many people at school who don't know or could care less about WWII (and especially the Veterans), I want to do anything I can to recognize the Veterans.

 

Good idea, next we have the problem of checking on people. What I mean is that it would be fairly easy for someone to join an say 'I am a veteran of such and such' despite the fact they are 12 years old and have never left detroit. On the other hand, how does one ask a vet to prove his service without causing offense? Just a couple of points.

 

And very valid ones, Stefan.

We have a kind of precedent with Sapper Brian, of course, but we can't expect that from every veteran just for the benefit of a notation of any sort.

I think this is best left to Otto's discretion.

 

All have valid points. I agree.

I just forgot to tell that even if my grandfather has made only a couple of posts, he's a veteran too. And there was some Greek 1941 veteran, right?

 

Yeah, I guess that was a bad idea, I was just curious.

 

Guys, whilst we are on the subject, I haven't seen sapper on the forum in a while, does anyone know how he is?

 

Sapper has been on here a couple of times the last week. I have seen him around. He posted about the BBC interview he is going to do soon.

BTW Nathan, it was not a bad idea. I think it might be sensitve, as Stefan pointed out, but it certainly is not a bad idea to propose something that gives veterans their due credit.

[ 03. November 2003, 08:59 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

I can not believe I had missed that entire story! I am just working my way through it at the moment.

EDIT: Nathan, not stupid by any stretch of the imagination just possibly sensative. Well worth considering (Sapper seems to have a special name already)

[ 03. November 2003, 09:32 AM: Message edited by: Stefan ]