DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband is a Vietnam veteran who is retired from the Army. When we go out and he wears his "Vietnam Veteran" hat, people often come up to him and say, "Thank you for your service."
What is the proper response to this? To respond "thank you" doesn't seem quite right. I suggested "I appreciate it," but he said that doesn't sound right, either.
GENTLE READER: "I was only doing my duty."
The other responses you mention are also acceptable, but this one is a polite and modest response that Miss Manners hopes will satisfy those veterans who remember encountering less charming remarks from the public. Or, as in the case of more recent veterans from whom Miss Manners has heard, those who believe that more than thanks were required of their fellow citizens.