Make sure to thank a veteran on Tuesday
Published 6:37 pm Saturday, November 8, 2014
Thanksgiving is coming up and Christmas is just around the corner, but Tuesday we all need to take the time to slow down for another holiday to thank our country’s veterans.
We all should be so grateful for what our troops do for us and on Veteran’s Day it’s important we all do our part to thank them for their service, which allows for the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website lists 45 things you can do to honor a veterans on its website.
The list was developed by the Behavioral Health staff at Spokane, Va. Medical Center. Here are some of the highlights:
- Hang an American flag in your yard. This is probably the simplest item on the list, but the flag is a symbol of our freedoms and everything we get to enjoy.
- Take a veteran out to dinner.
- Write and send letters to someone currently serving in the military. For those away from home serving our country, a thank you letter can mean so much.
- Make sure your children and grandchildren know who the veterans are within their own family. A lot of times younger children don’t realize that before they were born, or in their very young years, that an older member of the family served in a branch of the armed forces.
- Shake a veteran’s hand. Again, it’s simple but yet so important to thank those that have served our country. Sometimes a simple thank you means more than anything else.
But there’s one more thing.
The last item on the list is to pick a couple of the 45 items outlined and do them when it’s not Veteran’s Day. This is something we often overlook.
We appreciate the importance of a Veteran’s Day holiday, just because it allows the nation to collectively thank those who sacrifice so much for our freedom.
But we shouldn’t need the holiday to be reminded to thank our vets. We should always be appreciate for the liberties their service provides us. Do your part Tuesday, and simply say “thanks.”