Thank a veteran. Don’t know how? Many well-meaning people say “Thanks for your service.” That’s nice, but there are things you can do that are more helpful and meaningful to you and the veteran. I was in the US Navy myself; my husband attended the Naval Academy and served twenty-seven years on active duty; our son recently retired after serving both as an enlisted Marine and Navy officer. Obviously, I know many veterans and a little about their needs.
Show your interest. Questions that you might ask: What branch of the military were you in? How long did you serve? What were you stationed? Did you deploy? Where did you go? What was your mission? What was your specialty? What kinds of jobs did you do? What did you find rewarding about being in the military? What was the hardest part? Do you have a family? How did you deal with separations? These – and any others you think of – will generate a deeper conversation and a sense that you, a citizen, really care about this person and his/her particular experiences. Some events they experienced were so intense, so difficult to talk about, that you need to be sensitive if someone seems reticent about some topics. Most veterans are not comfortable being called “heroes,” because they bonded with and protected each other to the best of their ability, whatever the danger.
Here’s what I’m going to do to help veteran Aaron Hale who is a former Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team leader in Afghanistan where he was badly injured in a blast. To read his whole story: soldier lives on after blast injuries
Aaron is blind and essentially deaf, but he and his wife started making fudge, turning it into a business. I’m ordering several boxes of it for Christmas presents, enclosing a copy of the Pensacola News Journal article with them. The name of his fudge? EOD – Extra Ordinary Delights.
What other ways can you think of to thank a veteran?
by Kathleen Vestal Logan November 5, 2017