9 Meaningful Ways to Honor Veterans

Veterans Day is observed on November 11th. Use this occasion to honor our veterans in a way that shows how much you appreciate their service. 

1. Host a care package drive to send to Operation Gratitude. This is a great project for scouts, schools, businesses and religious organizations. Their website offers easy step-by-step instructions as well as a wish list for the troops. If your group is crafty, you can make decorated pillowcases or paracord lanyards to send in the care packages. Handwritten letters and pictures are also appreciated.

2. Attend a Veterans Day service at your house of worship, American Legion post or community parade. Your presence is valued by those who serve/d. See the sidebar to this article for this year’s local events. You can also consider creating your own by inviting local veterans to speak at your place of business or school.

3. Support a veteran-owned business. Look for storefronts and online stores that proudly display a Veteran Owned decal. A simple search of the The Veteran Owned Business Directorywill give you a list of all stores and restaurants in your state and county. If you are a small business owner yourself, consider a discount for customers who are veterans.

4. Participate in a fundraising event that supports veterans. While every community is different, you will find events like 5K runs, golf outings and clinics, bake sales or concerts. Reach out to your local American Legion, VFW or your state veterans services department for events near you.

5. Participate in a military cemetery cleanup or flag decoration. These events usually take place on Memorial Day and Veterans Day and near the winter holidays. Contact your local military cemeteries, American Legion or scout troops for dates and times in your area.

6. Buy a coffee or lunch for a veteran when you see them. Many veterans are easy to spot by the proud display of their status on hats, shirts and car decals. When you see one in line at a coffee shop or restaurant, thank them for their service by offering to buy their meal. 

7. Donate to a veterans’ home or hospital. Find a local veterans’ hospital by searching the Veterans Affairs website. While a monetary donation is easy and can go a long way, each office has a list of items they accept donations for including clothing, magazines, coffee and cookies.

8. Lend a hand to a local veteran who lives alone. Offer meals, yard work or a ride to the store or doctor’s appointment. It’s also important to make them feel like they are a valued part of the community. Invite them to dinner and get to know them. You may be surprised to hear their stories and find their talents to be a great contribution.   

9. Use your talent to brighten the day for a veterans’ home. Just like assisted living homes, veteran homes are always looking for volunteers to entertain their residents. If you are a singer, musician, art or dance therapist, yoga instructor or pet therapy volunteer, contact your local VA Home and ask how you can help. 

Pam Molnar is a freelance writer and proud daughter of a veteran. She enjoys writing about celebrating people and how they touch the lives of their community.

Local Veterans Day Events

• Veterans Day Weekend Activities at Mount Vernon:  November 9th-11th, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Celebrate military veterans of the United States armed forces at the home of George Washington. Join us for 18th-century military drills, visit Washington’s Tomb, write letters to veterans and more. Activities are included with general admission. On November 11, admission is free for all active duty, former and retired military personnel on Veterans Day.
• National Veterans Parade: November 10th, 12 p.m. Military, college, ROTC and high school marching bands will join floats, celebrities and veterans’ groups to march up Constitution Avenue in front of thousands of spectators, as well as a worldwide audience, in support of the veteran community. See event link for full route.
• Honoring Native Veterans: November 11th, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Join the National Museum of the American Indian in honoring the enduring and distinguished service of Native Americans in every branch of the U.S. military. Keynote speaker and author Teresa Lynch-Chrapkiewicz (Navajo) is an Air Force veteran and the first Navajo woman to receive a commercial pilot license. Teresa will read from and sign copies of her children’s book, The Yaz Tree Recipe: A Navajo Girl’s Dream. The National Capital Region Native American Color Guard, made up of four Washington, D.C.-based Indigenous women from different tribes, will bring in the colors. There will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the National Native American Veterans Memorial, along with an honor song and drum by Dennis Zotigh (Kiowa/Isanti Dakota/Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo).
• Veterans Day Concert: November 11th, 4 p.m. Koin Cathedral musicians and The President’s Own United States Marine Chamber Orchestra for an afternoon of popular music from the American Civil War, World War I and II, Korean War and Vietnam War eras, along with other patriotic and celebratory favorites. 
• Visit the Military Women’s Memorial: Open year-round, the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery honors the service of women in the U.S. armed forces throughout our nation’s past, highlighting their unique contributions and often overlooked history.

Books to read with your child on Veterans Day 

1. Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood by Valerie Pfundstein and Aaron Anderson
2. The Worn-Out Flag by Karen Bowen and Olha Tkachenko
3. Hero Dad (also available in Hero Mom) by Melinda Hardin
4. Veteran’s Day for Grandpa by Dee Smith
5. Tuesday Tucks Me In by Luis Carlos Montalván
6. Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld and Matt Tavares
7. Brave Like Me by Barbara Kerley
8. We Also Served: Amazing True Stories of Brave Military Animals by Erin McGill
9. Rolling Thunder by Kate Messner

Quick Facts About Veterans Day 

1. There is no apostrophe in the term Veterans Day. It is a day to honor not one, not many, but all veterans.
2. The New York City Veterans Day Parade has been held to honor Veterans since 1919.
3. At 2:11 p.m. EST each Veterans Day, the president will order a 2-minute moment of silence. This was started by President Obama in 2016.
4. According to the Census Bureau, in 2021 there were 16.5 million veterans living in the United States.
5. Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day, celebrating the end of WWI at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It was renamed Veterans Day by President Eisenhower in 1954 to honor all veterans.
6. Veterans Day is not the same as Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a time to remember those who gave their lives for our country, while Veterans Day honors all military members who have served our country in war and peace.
7. Other countries also recognize their veterans in November – Canada, Australia and Great Britain – although they refer to their holidays as Remembrance Day.