Zero discount for Marine of 14 years!!

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

To be fair, it is historically well known that Vietnam soldiers were not treated well by the public upon their return. They were spat on and called baby killers. Many soldiers tried to hide their service to avoid being ridiculed or in some cases they couldn't get work because of their service. I think that may be what @cobright might be reacting too.

It may be well known but it is not historically accurate. It was first put out by the Nixon administration and put out again during the gulf war to try and silence dissent. In fact the opposite was true. Protesters did not spit upon returning soldiers and did not call them baby killers. On the contrary, it was LBJ that was called a kid killer because it was he they blamed for soldiers losing their lives. Hey hey LBJ, how many more of our kids did you kill today was a common chant. Soldiers in the field and protesters by and large had an affinity for each other.

See, Lembcke. The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam, 1998.

 

[sonnyjane]

It sounds like this really upsetting for you. I'm sorry about that.

Disney makes the rules for who qualifies for military discounts at WDW and DL parks. Your BIL could try to ask for an exception. The worst thing that will happen is he's told no.

By the way, all military veterans get in free at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA usually on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. It's a 20-30 min drive from Disneyland.

My husband served for 13 years, did 3 tours, and got out due to being 80% disabled. He didn’t do 20 years, so he doesn’t get the benefits that he would have if he served all 20 years. Them’s the breaks, and there are tens of thousands of others like him and the OP’s family member. I suppose it’s a frustrating situation, but if everyone asked for special consideration there would be no point in having the official policy in the first place. It’s not like this is a surprise. Any service member should be well aware of the policy. Honestly it seems like OP is more upset than the relative.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I agree that setting a discount for active duty, active reserve, and retired is fair and makes sense from a business standpoint. I can see how a vet who is not one of those asking about a discount could make things awkward.

I actually can't see that asking about one's eligibility for a discount would be awkward, especially for someone with enough self-confidence to have enlisted in the Marines. Awkward to me is better indicated by a relative of the Marine being concerned enough about such a wrench in their expectations.

I'm just saying that companies like Disney need to find somewhere to draw the line for discounts.

 

[Pooh2]

Never met a soldier who would get his/her panties in a bunch over a disney discount!

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Never met a soldier who would get his/her panties in a bunch over a disney discount!

But the sister-in-law will!

 

[Southernmiss]

Never met a soldier who would get his/her panties in a bunch over a disney discount!

Yep. Dad served in Vietnam straight out of high school.

Did his 4 years. Got out. Never mentioned his military time again, especially not to get discounts.

Dh was in the Reserves for about 6 years. Did get a few discounts while he was actively serving, but once he left, never pulled the 'I'm a veteran' 'Where's my discount'.

Our nephew and BIL will retire from consistent active service. They are veterans.

 

[dclpluto]

Lots of places have discounts for veterans but Disney is not one of them.
my state New Jersey has a 250 dollar discount on your house taxes if you served in a time of war. Lots of years qualify.
I save a lot of money on my sprint bill. Most carriers have discounts for veterans .

I go to Lowe’s and save 10 percent.

on Black Friday I got amazon prime for one year for 79 dollars for being a veteran.

all Veterans should google what places give them discounts.

 

[BrokeMack]

Let's clear up some terminology mix ups for clarity's sake.

Memorial Day is for people who died in service.
Veteran's Day is for people who served once, but don't anymore (regardless of length of service, time of conflict or anything else)
Armed Forces Day is for people currently serving.

A veteran is anyone who used to serve. Like I said with Veteran's Day, length of service and combat don't factor in to the term, unless referring to "combat veteran" and that's a whole other ball of wax between rear-echelon types and frontline combat and whether this or that "counts". Leave that one to the vets to discuss among themselves.

"Retired" in the military sense usually means 20 years of service, though the pension is different for active vs reserve service. There are early retirements for certain medical conditions under certain circumstances, or non-medical early retirements. These are rare, but it is possible to be retired with less than 20 years.

If someone gets out without retiring, the term is "separated". You may also hear "ETS" used.

There are several types of "involuntary separations". Some are due to "reduction if force". This is like a layoff in a business. It isn't being fired for cause and it shouldn't be a source of shame for the veteran, but obviously it isn't great to lose your job either. Some involuntary separations are for disciplinary reasons, but that doesn't necessarily mean a dishonorable discharge, so please don't confuse the two.

Just about the worst thing you can do to a veteran is confuse an involuntary separation with a dishonorable discharge. DD is a big deal. Unlike a reduction in force, it should be a source of shame (I realize there was probably like one innocent guy who got railroaded through a court martial, if that's you, sorry, don't @ me). You lose all of your veteran's benefits and in my opinion shouldn't even call yourself a veteran anymore.

Hopefully that clears some things up. If we all get on the same page with terminology we might avoid some miscommunications.

 

[cobright]

It may be well known but it is not historically accurate. It was first put out by the Nixon administration and put out again during the gulf war to try and silence dissent. In fact the opposite was true. Protesters did not spit upon returning soldiers and did not call them baby killers.
...
See, Lembcke. The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam, 1998.

There is a well sourced rebuttal to Lembcke on startribune.

 

[Praying Colonel]

These links indicate there are about 2 million military retirees and about 18 million military veterans. So I can see where a business would have to draw the line somewhere.

 

[ZellyB]

My husband is retired National guard after serving 21 years and 1 tour in Iraq. We have used and appreciate the Disney discounts and SoG but know that the discount from Disney could go at any time. They are a private business serving a board and share holders. We'd miss the discounts but certainly don't feel entitled to them. Ultimately they make business decisions based on fiscal returns and PR. I'm quite sure it's just not a good return on investment to expand the discount.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

There is a well sourced rebuttal to Lembcke on startribune.

I didn't serve in the military during Vietnam, but I did work on a military base during that time. And I attended college then.

I can vouch that military personnel (as well as any civilian employees of military locations) were pretty much not loved by anyone who was not in either of those groups. I cannot say I witnessed any outwardly rude/disgusting behaviors (spitting, calling names), but once people found out that I worked on base, I was suddenly not invited to participate in any group activities with people I had known before I worked there (particularly "friends" in my college group).

 

[RamblingMad]

My husband served for 13 years, did 3 tours, and got out due to being 80% disabled. He didn’t do 20 years, so he doesn’t get the benefits that he would have if he served all 20 years. Them’s the breaks, and there are tens of thousands of others like him and the OP’s family member. I suppose it’s a frustrating situation, but if everyone asked for special consideration there would be no point in having the official policy in the first place. It’s not like this is a surprise. Any service member should be well aware of the policy. Honestly it seems like OP is more upset than the relative.

This is where I'd make an exception. I really think combat vets should get discounts, especially those injured and/or disabled that can't serve the 20 year requirement.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

This is where I'd make an exception. I really think combat vets should get discounts, especially those injured and/or disabled that can't serve the 20 year requirement.

If they are injured/disabled due to military service, and cannot continue to serve, typically, they could be retired on disability. Then they would fall under the "retired" group.

 

[BrokeMack]

If they are injured/disabled due to military service, and cannot continue to serve, typically, they could be retired on disability. Then they would fall under the "retired" group.

There is a slight grey area sometimes where a person can be "too disabled to serve" but not "disabled enough to get retired status" called "medical separation". But yeah, for the most part, the system works.

 

[SamFaniam]

No offense taken. You get your junk looked at a lot in the AF and it is easier. Here's my second favorite military joke and the AF is the butt of it :

A man was conducting an All Service member briefing one day, and he posed the question: “What would you do if you found a scorpion in your tent?”
A Sailor said, “I’d step on it.”
A Soldier said, “I’d hit it with my boot.”
A Marine said, “I’d catch it, break the stinger off, and eat it.”
An Airman said, “I’d call the concierge and find out why there’s a damn tent in my room.”

I grew up in an Air Force family, became a Marine, and then married into the Navy. My father was concerned about his daughter becoming a Marine and asked why I didn’t choose the Air Force. My uncle, also a Marine, said it’s because she doesn’t golf!

 

[AnnieBearJamboree]

This was a good read. I had to chuckle when other posters pointed out who is typically MOST angered by being denied a discount... And zero disrespect intended, but I had a good laugh at the scorpion joke about the (ch)Air Force!

May all those who have served in any capacity have a restful Memorial Day weekend with their families, and a thank you to retired vets who gave twenty years of service to our country!

 

[FlightlessDuck]

In the military, you generally have to serve for at least 20 years to retire. You can also be medically retired with less years in service if you have medical issues that prevent you from continuing service. If you are not retired in one of these two ways, then you're a veteran once you leave the service. It is not considered being retired from the military..

In that case, it's dumb that Disney's discount is specifically for retired service members. Although if any veteran could get a discount, that would be a lot more people getting discounts.

Maybe if they did it over Veteran's Day week only?

 

[lovemygoofy]

In that case, it's dumb that Disney's discount is specifically for retired service members. Although if any veteran could get a discount, that would be a lot more people getting discounts.

Maybe if they did it over Veteran's Day week only?

Military Veterans with honorable discharge and proof of DD-214 can stay at Shades of Green in Jan or Sept for less than $200/night in pretty nice rooms behind the Poly.

 

[lovemygoofy]

I guess my question for the OP is do you get angry at grocery stores, Walmart, McDonald's or gas stations that don't offer a military discount? Lots places for you to place your fury if you think your brother in law should be acknowledged unless you don't benefit from those discounts.