Dear Nurses — “Thank You For Your Service” Sincerely, Vets

Modern military veterans have a complicated relationship with the phrase “thank you for your service.” On one hand, many of us don’t feel like we did anything special; hearing gratitude from civilians makes some of us feel a little uneasy.

On the other hand, modern veterans remember the disgraceful way that our Vietnam-era brothers and sisters were treated when they returned home from Southeast Asia fifty years ago, and today we genuinely appreciate the recognition from the American public about the sacrifices we make.

In 2020, a new war, just as deadly as any war in American history, has come to American shores. But instead of bullets and bombs, it is being fought with ventilators and physical distancing.

As the late American author, Tom Clancy’s fictional Captain Marko Ramius once said, “It’s a war with no battles, no monuments… only casualties.”

As of this writing, the world is in the midst of the worst pandemic in modern history. Despite social distancing measures implemented on a wide scale to slow the infection rate, daily new cases and daily deaths continue to increase exponentially. The global economy has ground to a halt, with retail, travel and entertainment industries particularly hard hit. Despite numerous contradictory forecasts and daily misinformation from elected leaders, at present, there appears no end in sight.

When this is all over, the societal scars of the…