Unique ways to honor veterans
Sacrifice is a big part of serving in the United States military. Active duty personnel spend significant time away from their families, and many who have served overseas return home with injuries that affect both their physical and mental well-being. As the nation commemorates Veterans Day, individuals and organizations can take steps to honor the sacrifices millions of veterans have made on behalf of their families, friends and neighbors who call the United States home.
• Encourage a veteran to share his or her story. Individuals who know a veteran can encourage that individual to share his or her story about serving. This can reassure veterans that others care about the sacrifices they made and let veterans know that their sacrifices and service to their country were not in vain. Individuals who ask veterans to share their story also benefit, gaining valuable insight into what is required to protect their freedoms.
• Work with We Honor Veterans. We Honor Veterans is a program sponsored by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization that is designed to help organizations serve veterans in their communities. The program was initially designed for hospice providers, but has since expanded to welcome other community-based health organizations. The program aims is to provide the highest quality of care to military veterans. Organizations can learn more at www.wehonorveterans.org.
• Support veterans events in your community. Veterans Day parades are a fun and simple way to show support for the veterans in your community. Additional events that are not affiliated with Veterans Day also provide great opportunities to reassure veterans that their efforts and sacrifices are appreciated. Though Memorial Day and Veterans Day are two different holidays, attending community-based events for Memorial Day lets veterans know their sacrifices won’t be forgotten even when they’re no longer with us. In addition, support community efforts to honor local veterans, such as commemorative plaques and endeavors such as the Hometown Heroes Banner program, which honors past and present military members with high quality banners featuring the names of individuals who have served. These banners are often hung on telephone poles and serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices local residents made to make their communities and country safe places to live.
Veterans Day is a great time to honor the brave men and women who have served in the military.