In Honor of Veterans Day

This post was written in 2016 and edited in 2020.

It’s been a crazy week and all I really want to do is hike. I hope the weather cooperates for Veterans Day and I can get outdoors.

I’m sure at some point I will write about all the thoughts I am having right now but since they are still doing that whole-swimming-around-upstairs thing, I thought I would do a reposting of a story I wrote after my Oregon PCT hike in honor of tomorrow being Veteran’s Day:

I Will Never Know

I admit, I will be out hiking. I hope that the work I do with the homeless and community kitchen year round serves some of our forgotten heroes, who are disproportionately represented in these populations because Veterans Day is more than a day off and excuse for stores to run sales. And if you are still not sure of the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, read this article on 5 facts to know about Veterans Day. Did you know it was originally called Armistice Day after WWII?

I typically thank my dad who served in the US Air Force but I will be looking for other ways to honor those who served to keep us free, beyond just saying, “Thank You”. If you are looking for ways to do more than shop for bargains at your favorite store, these are just a few:

This article makes a valid point and offers some different ideas:

Truly Meaningful Ways to Honor Vets on Veteran’s Day

“Veterans in the U.S. account for some 20 percent of the nation’s suicides. On average, 22 veterans commit suicide daily, many of them are older veterans from Vietnam. And tonight, close to 60,000 veterans will go to sleep homeless, including thousands who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are disquieting numbers and should make us think about what gestures have authentic impact.

These days, many Americans stop veterans at airports, shopping malls and along the streets to thank veterans for their sacrifices. But, we didn’t serve to earn your thanks. We served because we believed it was the right thing to do. If you want to honor a vet, there are much more meaningful gestures you can make.”

Honoring is more than a free meal at Denny’s. Honoring is remembering our veterans when it comes to making and funding policies and programs regarding not only veterans services but those that help the poor, homeless and mentally ill.

We, the people, have the power to do this. Whether it be with our vote, or money or our time.

What do you do to show your appreciation on Veteran’s Day and throughout the year? Do you have a veteran in your family or close friend? How do you honor their service and sacrifice each year?

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