Like most patriotic holidays, Veterans Day is quickly become another excuse to skip work, get drunk, and eat meat seared over a grill.
Don’t get me wrong, that sounds like a fun day. But it isn’t what Veterans Day should become.
Over 20 million people in the USA are veterans which means just about everyone knows at least one veteran personally.
When writing this article, I wanted to see what others were saying about how to truly honor veterans on Veterans Day.
It quickly became apparent that most lists I found were full of ways to appear like you were honoring them without really doing anything.
One such entry was this:
Take a quiet moment and imagine hearing ‘Taps’ played in your head. Think about what it means.
If this is the best we can do for our veterans we should all be ashamed. These are people that we throw into the most dangerous fights in history, to defend our principals, and when they get home all we do for them is think about them once a year?
But we can all do better and it starts now. Let’s take a look at 5 REAL ways you can honor veterans on Veterans Day.
Attend an Event
In many cities, there will be numerous Veterans Day events before or on Veterans Day. Now, not all of these events are equal.
Some events are merely disguised as a patriotic event while simply being a money making scheme by local businesses and event planners.
Do a little bit of research and make sure that at least some of the proceeds go to a veterans organization you respect or veterans themselves.
BONUS
If you cannot find an event in your town or all of the events don’t give a portion of their proceeds, it’s time to make your own. Don’t get me wrong, this is not easy. But if you speak to your local politicians, they’ll be on your side. Veterans are a topic that politicians cannot ignore.
Help Fight PTSD
PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, ravages our veteran population. Giving time, money, or spreading awareness of PTSD will inherently help veterans.
The numbers of Veterans suffering from PTSD are as follows:
31% of Vietnam veterans
20% of Iraq veterans
11% of Afghanistan veterans
10% of Desert Storm veterans
In total 7.7 million people in the USA suffer from PTSD and the numbers grow as we become more aware of the disorder.
Seek Out Homeless Vets
There are about 20 million vets in America and over 50,000 of them are homeless. This number should strike a chord with you.
50,000 people that have served in our armed forces are simply without a place to live.
Luckily, you can easily donate to them. Here are just a few organizations you can give to.
NCHV – National Coalition of Homeless Veterans
http://nchv.org/index.php/getinvolved/getinvolved/donate/
HUD-VASH – the department of Housing and Urban Development has created the VASH program.
https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/hud-vash/hud-vash-eligibility-requirements/
SSFV – Supportive Services for Family Veterans
https://www.va.gov/homeless/ssvf/
The list goes on and on. You can donate directly to the cause you like the most.
Spread Awareness
So far the things I’ve mentioned takes a lot of time and money to do. And you won’t always be able to give that much, which is fair.
But one thing you can always give is information. The numbers we’ve already discussed are staggeringly upsetting. But not everyone is aware of them. This is why spreading awareness is crucial.
If you do donate, even just a few bucks, create a post on your social media accounts and ask for others to follow. Explain that a few don’t need to give a lot if a lot of people can just give a few bucks.
Also contact your company. Sometimes they will have the ability to match certain donations and that’s a great way to double the reach of any donations you do end up making.
Just Make One Day Better
You’ve seen the numbers. There are too many veterans in America that need help. And maybe that number is so large that you feel powerless in the fight. And that’s reasonable. It is an absurdly big uphill battle.
All you need to do to make a difference is find a Veteran and make their day a little bit better. Take them out for a meal. Get them a coffee. Spend the day with them. Buy them some clothes. Have them over for dinner.
Just take the action to make one veteran’s day a little bit better and the difference you made will be enough. It will matter.
This Veterans Day, make a real difference. While others are getting drunk at BBQs or pretending they’re making a difference by thinking of niceties (I still can’t get over that), you can make a real difference with action.
It may not a lot. But it can be enough.
