STORE: Be honest with veterans
There is a certain home improvement store (chain) that operates in Coeur d’Alene and offers veterans a 10 percent discount. Being a veteran, when I inquired to the store manager about it, I was advised that one would have to show a picture ID depicting me as a veteran to qualify; in other words, a DD-214(honorable discharge) would not work since it comes without a photo.
Veterans Day, this year, the state of Idaho decided to start issuing drivers licenses to veterans with their status of being a veteran on their license. Wow, my problem was over. I would have a picture ID from the state of Idaho showing I was in fact a veteran. I immediately went to the DMV with a certified copy of my DD-214 and received my new license. Now I would certainly qualify for a veterans discount; wrong, now all of a sudden they decided that you had to either be an active member of the military, retired or disabled. Really, then why does a good friend of mine, who makes a lessor wage than I and qualifies for medical benefits through the VA get his discount? He is not disabled, nor did he retire from the military. He simply, because he makes a smaller wage can qualify for medical benefits. So to put it as nicely as I can, and according to their policy, just some veterans are veterans and the rest of us are not.
It is absolutely true that I can certainly survive without the discount for two reasons; one, I make sufficient income to pay for the things I need, and secondly, I will never shop in their store again, so the discount doesn’t really matter. What upsets me is that this home improvement store is getting away with waving the flag and claiming how they support all veterans when in fact they do nothing of the sort. False advertising if you ask me, and pitting one veteran against another.
As far as I am concerned, if you are a veteran and you are offering a veteran a discount, man up and offer the discount; otherwise just do away with it and be honest and declare that we don’t give discounts to veterans.
STEVE GROVES
U.S. Army SPC-5
Aug. 1963 to Aug. 1966