Car park ex-servicemen

In the 50s and 60s, there was almost always and ex-serviceman in a car park offering guidance help and advice to people trying to park.  They were always happy to receive a small coin as a thank you. It did not strike me at the time but I guess it is a sad reflection on the way that these people were treated. Car parks were often waste ground and often bomb sites where bombing had obliterated the buildings.