What do you think??

Question

My ex once asked my dad if he had been in the military my dad replied no but he was in the menchant Navy. I said to my ex that he was a vitenam Vet. My dad took fuel to the american during the war. My ex replied that does not make him a vet. I replied that he was in extreme danger when taking the fuel as he was in enemy lines at the time. With a ship full of fuel it was extremly dangerous i was just wondering what other people think is he a vetran or not??

my dad is english and serverd with the english menchant navy. They took fuel to help america and i am proud of him in every way possible

Answer 1

Unfortunately in most conflict the merchant navy never gets a mention. If there was not merchant navy in the second world war the UK would have folded to the Germans in a very sort space of time.
In the Vietnam war the supply lines were as important as the solderers on the front.
Your dad is a true hero as not only did he do this job voluntarily but also in the full knowledge that if he died he would die un-recognised for his sacrifice.

Answer 2

While the merchant marine do serve the U.S. Military on occasion, they do not qualify for veterans status. However, they do get other perks and bonuses that the military doesn't get to include better pay. Anyone who gets on a ship in a time of war to deliver the supplies to the troops though is a special kind of person. I'm sure most of the people on this site wouldn't do it. I had an uncle in WWII who was in the Merchant Marine. They would run supplies on the Atlantic to the British and French. They faced a lot of U-Boats and a lot of men died, but never did they stop their runs despite the danger. So you could say that yes, your dad is a hero, but not a vet. Sorry.

Answer 3

talking strictly what the definition of a vet is:

A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces and has an honorable discharge; a common misconception is that one has either been in combat and/or is retired from active duty to be called a veteran. Because of this widely held misconception, women have often been excluded from this equation. Each state (of the United States) sets specific criteria for state specific veterans benefits. For federal medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, prior to Sept. 7, 1980 the veteran must have served at least 180 days of active duty, after the above mentioned date the veteran must have served at least 24 months. However, if the veteran was medically discharged and receives a VA service connection disability the time limits are not applicable.

Answer 4

yeah I think so. A lot of merchant ships and crews of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary were in the Falklands war and many didnt come back. In a way, these guys deserve even more respect than the armed forces as they are civilians and possibly didnt expect to be sailing into a war zone. In a smiliar vein of thought, the Merchant Navy suffered terrible losses during ww2 as a result of the U-Boat threat so, if they are operational in a forward area during a time of war and they are at risk the same as the armed forces then theyre as much veterans as I am (and ive a lot of combat experience)

Answer 5

A veteran (from Latin vetus, meaning "old") is a person who is experienced in a particular area, and is particularly used in Russia and the United States to refer to people in the armed forces. It often refers to retired service personnel. A veteran is one who has served in the armed forces and has an honorable discharge; a common misconception is that one has either been in combat and/or is retired from active duty to be called a veteran. Because of this widely held misconception, women have often been excluded from this equation. Each state (of the United States) sets specific criteria for state specific veterans benefits. For federal medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, prior to Sept. 7, 1980 the veteran must have served at least 180 days of active duty, after the above mentioned date the veteran must have served at least 24 months. However, if the veteran was medically discharged and receives a VA service connection disability the time limits are not applicable.

Answer 6

You should be proud of your dad. The job that he did in Vietnam was dangerous and difficult. He showed his support of the US and his own country.

However, unless he was in the Armed Services, he is not considered a "veteran". Perhaps there is a different definition in the UK, but in the US a "vet" is someone that served in the Armed Forces. The Merchant Marines are not considered to be that.

Please thank your dad for me.

Answer 7

Everyone gives a part of contribution to the country. Your dad although not completely a veteran but he do have a veteran's fighting spirit that why took fuel to soldier during war wasn't a easy task.. it took courage to did that.

Answer 8

You know i think anyone who was involved with the war in Vietnam must be really strong. I think he is a vetran, it was a very disturbing war and people should be congratulated if they came back alive. Other people may not agree with me on this, but everyone is entitled to their opinion!
He must have been very brave.

Answer 9

He was very brave and performed an invaluable service to his country, but not a veteran in the legal sense of the word. He would have had to have been in the active duty military in order to qualify for Veteran's rights, but in every other sense of the word, he was a veteran. Regardless of how you define his service, he was courageous and you should be very proud.

Answer 10

Your dad is a veteran.We had the same problem here during WW11 the merchant navy took terrible risks.