Dear America, I know how much you like to commemorate veterans and it's great...

[cynatnite]

But please don't forget that were are women veterans. Right now, there are over 2 million of us in the United States. Please, don't look down on us for saying we're veterans because we are women (which is what happened tonight at Olive Garden).

I was told twice that I was ordering off the wrong menu (the one for veterans). The second waitress asked for proof and looked at me like I was a lying piece of trash. I provided my VA card which says "service connected" on the front of it.

This was actually a demeaning experience.

[Texasgal]

1. What a DAMN good post!

Yes! I agree...

Women have been a big part of the military for a long time. We should NOT forget them!

Thank you for this post, really... THANK YOU. K&R

[niyad]

2. what a horrible experience for you--I hope you spoke with the manager immediately. you are

correct, people do seem to forget that there are, in fact, women service members and vets.

I remember reading years ago about one of the WASPS-- her daughter was doing a paper about her mother's experiences, and the teacher gave the girl an "f"--saying that women were never pilots.

I am so sorry this happened to you.

[Skittles]

3. ME, ME!!!

USAF!!

[Texasgal]

18. Thank you Skittles!

I am so proud to be in a circle with a "Kick ass" veteran!

Thank you for your service!

[Summer Hathaway]

4. Thank you for your service, cynatnite

And you're right, that was a demeaning experience, and should never have happened.

I can only wonder what rock the wait staff you encountered have been living under, in order to NOT know that there are female vets.

[Kaleva]

5. Rec'd

[Deep13]

6. Wow, unbelievable. nt

[MADem]

7. I'd send a note to the frigging Olive Garden corporate HQ.

I'd tell them about your shitty experience.

There's no excuse for it. None whatsoever.

Fill out the form at this link and give them an earful:

https://www.olivegarden.com/Secure/Connect/?schemeredirect=true


You could call them if you'd prefer:

Olive Garden Customer Service Phone Number
1 [phone]

Now I have another reason to avoid those assclowns--their food sucks, now I find out they are shitty to my peers. Not cool.

[pangaia]

8. To soften the blow a little..

You have a president who has been told to show is birth certificate for 4 years. :&gt )

Hang in there...

[Arcanetrance]

9. Great post

My stepmother is a veteran and she has the same problem and she's one of the toughest people I know

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Yup, it is annoying.

(And I am putting it mildly).

Many still do not realize women folk serve, and in harms way no less.

[Scootaloo]

11. I hope you had a word with the manager

and informed him his establishment will no longer be receiving your money.

[oldhippydude]

12. for what its worth THANK YOU

for your service & being here!!

[DollarBillHines]

13. In our town, this entire day has been dedicated to women vets.

Flyovers, bands, women's vet organization.

All day long.

Oh, and thanks, cynatnite.
DBH

[cynatnite]

14. Update: I spoke with the manager...

She was stunned by how I was treated and promised to speak with the staff and more specifically the one who wanted proof. She said I should not have had to do that at all. I am getting a gift card.

Still not sure I want to go back after this.

[Cha]

16. Good to know!

I mean really.. proof?!

[vankuria]

26. Glad to know

you spoke with the manager. And thank-you for your service!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

28. thanks for following up on it and updating us.

Jerks!

You rock.

[LiberalFighter]

34. Since you got some satisfaction from the manager...

I would suggest now that you consider contacting your local newspaper to do a story about female military next year. You could mention that some people don't believe that women serve and had an incident but DON'T include the business in question since they responded positively.

[Cha]

15. I'm sorry that happened to you, cynatnite! And, it

never should have..thanks for your Service.

[jody]

17. Wish I had been with you not that you needed help. I'm proud of you. A veteran. nt

[Control-Z]

19. I'm ashamed to admit this

but I've never even thought of my own sister as a veteran. I'm not sure why. She was in the Marines for 16 years and has been a reservist for more than 10. She guarded embassies in two foreign countries and served in the middle east in 2006 - 2007. My niece (her daughter) is an EOD specialist currently serving in Qatar.

My apologies to you and to all the women I've neglected to show my respect for.

[libdem4life]

20. Wasn't the Olive Garden on the boycott list? Ditto that.

Two of my nieces served...none of my nephews. Go figure. And I'm damn proud of all 2 million of you. I had no idea.

[MineralMan]

21. That's shameful on the part of Olive Garden.

This should go to national news. I hope the person who waited on you was summarily fired. If I had been the manager, that would have happened. I worked with a number of women in the USAF during my period of service. Shame on that person.

[cynatnite]

22. What made it worse for me is that it was in front of my son. I wished he hadn't witnessed it. n/t

[MineralMan]

23. It's just shameful. Had I witnessed it, the manager would have been

dealing with another veteran, and I'm pretty formidable in situations like that. The whole restaurant would have known about it.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

24. You should have asked for the manager...

Or simply left. There's no reason for you to be treated that way.

And thank you, and all your sisters in uniform, for their service to our country.

[USMCMustang]

25. Wow!

In my little brain I always include women vets in my thinking. My wife is active duty and I still hear people say they shouldn't be there. The look on their faces when I tell them she is over there.

[Chorophyll]

27. First, thank you for your service!

Second: nothing good ever happens at Olive Garden. And the staff who treated you like that should be goddamned ashamed.

But for you,

[blue sky at night]

29. I think this comes under the heading of ignorance...

so many people now a days are blind to social graces and never think twice about what they are saying or doing... I am so sorry this happened to you. I think women are coming to the forefront now as they are no longer going to stand for being treated as second class citizens...something you are truly not! I salute you today on Veterans Day, thanks for your service.

[SaveAmerica]

30. That's ridiculous, I'm so sorry that happened to you!!

I'd love to take you to dinner and let you choose off of any part of the menu! Women Vets are very small in number but you sure did not make a smaller sacrifice! Thank you for your part in protecting the US!!

[heaven05]

31. God!

I wish I had been at the table next to you. I just don't understand the idiocy of some americans sometimes. I salute you. You are and your service is appreciated by me.

[SaveAmerica]

32. You should have lifted your shirt and breastfed something - anything!!

[SeattleVet]

33. Both of my sisters also served

in the Air Force, as did I. (One served just between the dates for American Legion membership eligibility - she served between VietNam and Lebanon/Grenada.)

I don't think they've had any hassles like you experienced, though... that's just *wrong*.

[w8liftinglady]

35. 1. I hate that you went through that. 2. We had the same problem in The dallas mornings news

Every photograph, every article had exclusively male photos and names.
I had to remind the editorial board that there are FEMALE veterans,too.

Stay proud,and thank you.

[DemoTex]

36. Dad had three brothers and six sisters

All but the youngest sister served in WW-II. Nine out of ten served in WW-II! It was an incredible family committment that was not unusual at the time.