11 WAYS FAMILIES CAN SALUTE A VETERAN

During this month of Thanksgiving, don’t forget our military service members. Many organizations and veterans groups offer ways to help support and show gratitude to members of the armed forces. Help a veteran, a deployed service member, and military families know that you appreciate their sacrifices. Here’s how:

1. Help an expectant military mom

Nothing relieves a soldier’s worries than knowing his family is supported back home. Operation Top Knot, an organization started by college student Audri Cid in 2003, is a nationwide network of individuals who sew, knit and create gift baskets to support new and expectant mothers whose husbands are deployed. To donate baby blankets, diapers, bottles, clothing and other items, visit http://soldiersangels.org/Operation-Top-Knot-Team.html.

2. Write a letter 

Remind veterans and their families that you’re thinking about them and appreciate their commitment to our nation. Write a letter to a deployed soldier, a wounded warrior, or a veteran who has served in past wars through OperationGratitude.com, or a military family through Operation Appreciation, sponsored by Blue Star Families, www.bluestarfam.org.

3. Support their furry friends 

Raise money to go toward fostering pets of active-duty service members, wounded warriors and homeless veterans. Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet (https://gafsp.org) is a non-profit organization that finds qualified foster families to care for pets while soldiers are deployed or when military families transfer overseas. The foster families also care for pets whose warriors have died. 

4. Contribute to Paralyzed Veterans of America

This organization supports veterans who suffer from a spinal cord injury. Participate in one of the organization’s sporting events or fundraisers, make a monetary donation, or collect and donate bags of clothing, shoes, belts, hats, books, CDs and small household goods. For more information, visit www.pva.org.

5. Assist disabled and wounded veterans

Volunteer at your local Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital or help disabled veterans with running errands, doing yard work, or assisting with transportation. Contact www.dav.org for more information. Also, check out the Wounded Warrior Project for other ways to help injured service members.

6. Help them call home 

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) supports and assists military veterans and their families through a variety of programs, including Operation Uplink. The program enables service members and hospitalized veterans to make free calls back home to loved ones for three days each month. Go to www.VFW.com to find out how you can make a donation.

7. Aid service dogs

PatriotPaws trains dogs to serve disabled veterans. You can volunteer to help the organization by bathing and walking dogs, running errands, or fundraising. For more information, visit www.patriotpaws.org.

8. Clip coupons

Don’t toss your expired coupons! Military families stationed overseas can use coupons for up to six months past the expiration dates. Visit www.supportourtroops.org/troopons to find out where to mail your coupons.

9. Donate Books

Consider supporting Books for Boots, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collects new and gently‑used books, movies, music CDs, puzzles and craft items and distributes them to injured recruits, active‑duty military and veterans nationwide. Visit: www.Books for Boots.org. You can donate items (books, DVDs, CDs, puzzles, crafts) via drop‑off or mail‑in, and the group sends these as care packages or entertainment bundles to military facilities and veteran rehab centers. Their mission: “When someone donates an item … it’s a heartfelt way of saying, we see you, we appreciate you, and we care about you.”

10. Send a sweet surprise 

Instead of letting leftover Halloween candy go to waste, consider donating it to the Treats for Troops campaign by Soldiers’ Angels. This program collects excess candy and distributes it to deployed service members and veterans across the country, offering them a small but meaningful treat from home. Learn how to donate or become a collection site at soldiersangels.org/treats-for-troops

11. Teach kids to honor veterans

Help children understand the meaning of Veterans Day through engaging, age-appropriate activities provided by the Wounded Warrior Project. Their “Honor Their Courage” program offers lesson plans, reflection prompts, videos, crafts, and writing exercises that teach gratitude and patriotism. Educators and parents can access free resources by registering at woundedwarriorproject.org/veterans-day-for-kids

Veterans Day Quiz

(1) Veterans Day originated after which of the following wars:

     A) WWII

     B) Revolutionary War

     C) WWI 

(2) What year did Veterans Day become a national holiday?

     A) 1919

     B) 1938

     C) 1945 

(3) Which U.S. president changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day?

     A) Dwight D. Eisenhower

     B) John F. Kennedy

     C) Franklin D. Roosevelt

Answers:

1 - Answer (C): Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on November 11, 1919, to mark the one-year anniversary when Germany signed the Armistice to formally end WWI. 

2 - Answer (B): Veterans Day became a national holiday in 1938. 

3  - Answer (A): In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to change the name of the holiday to Veterans Day, to honor all those who served in American wars. 

Freelance journalist Christa Melnyk Hines, daughter of retired USAF SMSgt. Walter Melnyk, is thankful for all of our veterans and their families for their sacrifices and service.