As we prepare to celebrate Veterans Day, I’d like to share a little history and also a few ways that you can honor our Veterans.
First, a little history. After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as Armistice Day to commemorate the “war to end all wars” and became an official holiday starting in 1938. After World War II and the Korea Wars, in 1954, Congress changed the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day to honor the veterans of all wars.
Veteran’s Day is a celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. It is each of our patriotic duty to honor all of those who served our country in war or peace, and not only those who died or were wounded in battle.
Next, I hope you find these 5 ways to Express Appreciation on Veterans Day that was shared with me by the Warbird of America organization, which I am a proud member of.
Veterans Day is an important day for showing appreciation to members of our military, past and present. If you’re looking for an appropriate way to honor a veteran in your life, or would like to contribute in a way that’s meaningful for veterans everywhere, here’s a list of suggestions to start you off.
- Show Up. Attend a Veterans Day event in your area — not just a picnic with friends but an honest-to-goodness parade or service for veterans. Roy Rogers said, “We can’t all be heroes; someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.” Veterans Day is a great opportunity to do just that.
- Ask someone about their service. It seems like we all know someone who has served and Veterans Day is a great time to ask them about their service. Some questions to get started are: What did you do in the military? How long did you serve? What was your favorite moment in all your time in the service? Did anyone else in your family serve? Why did you choose to go into the service branch you did? Sometimes you don’t have to say anything, just listen and give them your full attention. – This article was provided to me by the Warbirds of America and saw it as a sixth way to serve on Veterans Day and sharing with you.
- Fly a Flag – Correctly. Veterans Day is a great opportunity to fly the flag! Just make sure you’re observing the proper rules for display. Not sure exactly what those are? Check out https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/celebrate/flagdisplay.pdf
- Donate. There is a plethora of wonderful organizations who offer all manner of support, services and appreciation for our service members.
- Visit a VA Hospital. Find out what the policies are at your nearest VA hospital for interacting with patients or volunteering, and spend the day with a veteran. Many VA facilities will have events on Veterans Day or a special lunch you can help prepare. Even if you never interact with a veteran, helping at a facility is a way to give back.
Author: Rob Siegmann is a partner and chief operating officer of Total Wealth Planning, a fee-only fiduciary financial planning firm in Cincinnati (Blue Ash), Ohio. He is often quoted in industry publications such as The Cincinnati Business Courier, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo finance, Financial Planning Magazine, Cincinnati Enquirer as well as others. Rob is grateful to serve others, including his team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioners and the clients they serve, so they can live their greatest life through well informed and prudent financial decisions. Rob can be reached at rsiegmann@twpteam.com.
