Top 5 Ways to Thank a Veteran

Veterans Day is on the same day every year, November 11, regardless of which day of the week it falls on. It is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve.

Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who have died serving in the military.

While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served in the military during wartime and peacetime service.

Top 5 Ways to Thank a Veteran

1.  Donate to a Veterans’ Charity: You can donate to a reputable organization like Disabled American Veterans (DAV), American Legion, and Wounded Warrior Project, which represents veterans, or donate to a charity that aids veterans in your area.

2. Adopt a Military Family This Holiday Season– The holidays are particularly tough for many troops and their families, especially when a parent is deployed. The USO offers USO Operation Phone Home, which delivers troops a $50 prepaid international calling card. You can sponsor a military family during the holidays by sending gift cards to a family with a parent(s) currently deployed. You could also deliver a hot meal to a housebound veteran this holiday season.

3. Write to a Veteran: You can send a postcard or E-card to show your appreciation to a veteran. Operation Write Home offers blank, handmade greeting cards to active duty service members so they can write home to their loved ones and need donations to help cover costs like envelopes and stamps.

4. Send a care package to an active-duty soldier. Visit the sites AnySoldier.com  or SoldiersAngels.org to discover how and where to send care packages and how you can give them to veterans. You can contact a nearby military base for assistance if you do not know someone currently stationed overseas.

5. Ask a Veteran about their service- Here are safe questions you can ask a veteran:

   ·         Why did you join the military?

   ·         What was your job in the military?

   ·         How long did you serve?

   ·         Did anyone else in your family serve?

   ·         What was basic training like?

   ·         What was your favorite duty station?

Ways to Honor Veterans Year Round

Support veteran-owned businesses. You can contact your local chamber of commerce to see if they have any resources available or check out this post for a list of a few veterans owned businesses.

Visit a veterans’ hospital, assisted living, or nursing home facility. Due to COVID, this option may not be available, but you can have flowers delivered to these locations if you are not able to visit.

Let Veterans Know They Matter– By telling a veteran how much you appreciate their service, you are letting them know their decision to serve our country makes a difference.

My friends Aleah and Maggie @smallfarmfamily are celebrating National Veterans and Military Families Month by featuring several outstanding individuals who have served in the military and are now farmers. I am so honored for the opportunity to share my story, and I am so grateful for the support. If you’d like to see the other featured accounts, please make sure you are following Aleah and Maggie on Instagram.

I hope this blog post helped answer questions you had about Veterans Day. Usually, we stay at the farm or go to our local Tractor Supply and see what kind of deals they are having for Veterans Day. I will post a list of all Veterans Day free meals, discounts, deals, and sales here.

How do you honor Veterans Day?

Jennifer