Thoughtlessness

Yesterday I was at Walmart and had to stop to let my son get off of the cart.  The man pushing a cart behind me stopped as well (checking his list or something, I was trying not to look at him and seem like a weirdo) when another older man came up to him.  

He shook his hand and asked him where he served.  (I was listening at this point but still trying to not "pay attention" to them and focus on my son.  I feel drawn to anything military since we started our life in the military world.) The younger guy answered,"Iraq."  "Oh how was it over there, come back with any spooks?" 

The younger guy just kind of mumbled something about nothing and it was ok over there.  Then the older man walked away and the younger man started walking in front of us. I looked at him to try and figure out how the older man knew that he had served, and noticed the word Veteran on the back of his hat.

I was dumbfounded and a little sick to my stomach over what I heard.  I almost said something to the younger man about how I was sorry and some people just don't understand common courtesy, but my mind is more outspoken than my mouth.

I couldn't get that picture out of my head all day though.  Why would you think that it was ok to say that to someone?  I know with him being older that obviously times were different growing up, but still.  What if that man suffered some horrible mental and/or physical damage over in Iraq?  What if he lost his best friend right before his eyes?  What if he took fire himself and feared for his life?  What if he took the life of another to protect himself and those serving next to him?  What if that one comment is the thing that sends him over the edge of his PTSD?  How could the older man be so thoughtless to ask such a question? 

Please humanity, use your brain before you open your mouth because that one thing that you just said could make or break a person.

To the younger man that walked away after that encounter: I'm sorry that people are so thoughtless when it comes to something so personal. I'm sorry that you had to endure such an awkward conversation.  I can't imagine what you went through over there, but thank you.