Ways to Show Appreciation to Veterans Every Day

Day occurs each November during a month drenched in the theme of thankfulness, and while having a day set aside to remember veterans highlights the importance of these individuals, veterans deserve our appreciation every day.

While it’s easy to remember veterans on the federal holiday each November, remembering just what veterans have done for us should encourage us to be thankful for them and to them every day. This post offers some suggestions on patriotic gifts for men and how you can thoughtfully express your thanks to veterans on a daily basis.

Simple Ways to Show Your Appreciation to Veterans

Maybe you haven’t had the honor of meeting a veteran or maybe your family is filled with a long history of brave men and women who fought for our country. No matter your situation, honoring veterans is an active mindset, not a reactive one, and these tips can help you show gratitude in meaningful ways:

• Volunteer for them. You can find an endless number of veteran-focused organizations in need of volunteer support. Volunteering can connect you with veterans and enhance your gratitude for their service while providing meaningful support.
• Listen to them. Whether you’re volunteering with veterans or notice a veteran in line at the coffee shop, offer not just to buy them a drink but also offer your time to listen. As nice as a free meal or drink might be, veterans may want or need to talk. So make yourself approachable and ask open-ended questions that show you’re willing to listen.
• Honor them. Whether you already have veterans in your life or connected to one through volunteering or chatting with them at the local bar, honoring them with patriotic gifts for men reminds veterans that you value who they are and what they’ve done for our country. From custom shot glasses to unique bottle openers, Old Southern Brass offers an array of military gifts made to honor and remember veterans.

Why Veterans Deserve Our Thanks Every Day of the Year

It can be difficult for many Americans to fully grasp just what veterans have done for our country and our individual rights. Those who have served our country bravely and willingly typically don’t offer details of their service or seek out praise. So unless you know and understand the conditions through which veterans have served and the rights and freedoms we need to preserve and protect, you may not fathom just why a veteran deserves a beer or a set of bullet shot glasses year-round, not just on Veteran’s Day.

America not only was founded in a unique fashion, but also America has constructed and employed a form of government unique to the world. This nation began not by disgruntled, money-hungry white men but by educated men who understood that treading on their rights—whether that be taxing their stamps, sugar, and tea or taking away their guns—without giving them a say in the matter was not going to happen without a fight.

Since its inception, America hasn’t set out to colonize the world through war but has recognized that the rights that make our country unique and truly free can be snatched away if we don’t fight for them. Veterans for decades have recognized the impact that actions across the world can have on our freedoms, and they have willingly fought to ensure that nothing in this world comes between Americans and their liberty.

Originally, Veteran’s Day was called Armistice Day. President Wilson commemorated the day on November 11, 1919, as a day to be filled with pride for those who fought in World War 1. This holiday falls on November 11 because that’s the day, in 1918, when World War 1—the war to end all wars—ended, and it became a legal holiday in 1938.

Because President Wilson and everyone else in the world could not imagine another heinous war, this day remembered only those who fought in World War 1, that is, until World War 2 and the Korean War. Veterans groups rallied to urge Congress to change Armistice Day to include all veterans of all wars, and President Eisenhower did just that. On December 8, 1954, President Eisenhower changed the name of this federal holiday to Veteran’s Day.

Patriots who fought for this country and patriots who live in this country understand the integral role veterans have played to preserve our freedoms. Those who don’t are scoffing at codified law that seeks to honor veterans for their:

• Patriotism: When it comes to devotion to our country, nothing exemplifies that more than defending our country. Veterans have painted the ultimate picture of patriotism by fighting to uphold our rights and our freedoms, which is devotion at its best. Although some in this country try to make this an ugly term, patriotism is nothing short of heroic devotion to our country.
• Love of country: You may consider this term to be the same as patriotism, but one’s love of country underpins and motivates one’s patriotism. We choose to love, and we love our guns, we love our democracy, and we love our freedoms, and all these things make America great. Your love for your country makes you stand and remove your hat for the national anthem or proudly recite “The Pledge of Allegiance.” Your love for your country swells your heart with pride and fuels the patriotism that drives you to defend it at all costs.
• Sacrifice: Veterans don’t just sacrifice their lives on the battlefield. They sacrifice precious time spent away from loved ones. They sacrifice the preservation of mental and physical health. They sacrifice these things to retain our liberty and democracy. Our freedoms come at a price that veterans have sacrificed to pay.

Some people in this country think that education means not teaching history, not explaining the roles of our founding fathers and our rights, and not promoting the importance and honor of those who have served. Some even go so far as to try and change history, turning it into a soundbite that serves their political goals, but remembering veterans year-round offers an opportunity for you to educate those around you of the importance of these outstanding individuals.

Veterans need to know they are valued, and they deserve to feel that gratitude on Veteran’s Day and any day of the year. Because patriotic gifts for men speak to the patriotism, love of country, and sacrifice veterans represent, honor the veterans around you with thoughtful actions and meaningful gifts on Veteran’s Day and year-round.