Nov. 11th is Veterans Day. Are there any veterans living in your town? Here are some ways you can show your respect and honor the vets you know.
Next week is Veteran’s Day. As the nation prepares to honor those among us who have served, it’s a good time to reflect on the courage of our veterans.
Five Ways to Honor the Veterans Who Live in Your Town
As you consider what their service means to our nation, here are some ways to recognize veterans.
- Get Involved With the Veterans History Project
The stories of our veterans are priceless, and they can serve as reminders of the importance of history, citizenship, and valor.
In recognition of the value of these personal war stories, the Library of Congress began the Veterans History Project to help preserve veterans’ accounts of their service stories in the American Folklife Center in Washington, D.C.
You can assist the project by interviewing veterans in your neighborhood. The interviews can be recorded on audio or video equipment and must be at least 30 minutes long. For more information, visit the project’s website to find out how to register and participate. Once there, you can also find good tips on how to conduct the interview.
- Host a Fireside Chat
You may associate fireside chats with Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s comforting radio addresses during the Great Depression and World War II. Today, however, they’re held everywhere from Starbucks to universities, bringing people together to hear stories.
If there’s a veteran (or two) in your area who’d be willing to share some stories of their service, you can host a fireside chat. It could be set up as an interview or a storytelling session. Invite everyone in your neighborhood, serve refreshments, and be sure to give the veteran(s) a proper introduction.
- Create an ‘Honor Wall’ in Your Town
A temporary honor wall in a public space in your city, like the honor walls found in all Legacy Senior Living communities, is a gentle reminder of the sacrifice that veterans make for their country. Make yours special by including photos of veterans in your community. Include stories and put captions on all photos so passersby can learn about area residents who have served.
- Read a Poem at Dinner
Ever wonder about the symbolism of the red ‘remembrance’ poppy that’s used to memorialize soldiers who died in combat? It’s from a famous poem written in 1915 called “In Flanders Field the Poppies Grow.”
Reading this poem aloud is a traditional way to honor veterans on Veterans Day. Although it’s more closely associated with Memorial Day, it’s a nice way to honor the vets in your area.
- Raise the American Flag
Not all gestures have to be grand. The simple act of raising the flag is another good way to show your appreciation.
From Our Community to Yours: Honoring Vets on Veterans Day
Letting the veterans know how much they mean to you can be as simple as hanging a flag. It can also be as grand as hosting a fireside chat.
No matter how you choose to observe Veteran’s Day–whether it’s with a large or small gesture, know this: your actions will be heard, loud and clear. From all of us at Legacy Senior Living Communities, here’s to the vets in our lives who served our country and made us proud.
Want to know more about the communities in the Legacy Senior Living network? Contact us any time!