“Let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.” — President Dwight D. Eisenhower

In this time of continued unrest at home and abroad, there are over 25 million living veterans of our Armed Forces from the various wars and conflicts our nation has engaged in who deserve more than just a perfunctory “thank you” this upcoming Veterans Day.

While Memorial Day honors those veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice, Veterans Day primarily honors our nation’s living veterans.

Although the foremost image of events celebrating Veterans Day is the laying of a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery for a moment of silence and the playing of “Taps” at 11 a.m. (the moment on November 11th, 1918 when the armistice was signed, ending WWI), the best way to celebrate Veterans Day is to volunteer to visit or help the living veterans in your area.

Donating money or goods is always welcomed at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the multitude of other organizations who dedicate their efforts to our veterans, but donating your time and services is a more precious gift. Why not volunteer at a local VA’s Voluntary Services center, giving a vet a lift to the hospital or help with groceries, or try calling your local in-home care company to see if they have any customers who are vets who could use a visit now and then? Or how about contacting the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and volunteering at one of their shelters?

There are so many ways to show our veterans how much we care. Remember that when we needed them, they were there. And now they need us. So let’s give a helping hand, and bring our troops home soon and safely, so we can honor them next Veterans Day, instead of on Memorial Day.

For more information on:

Contacting your local VA volunteer centers, go to http://www1.va.gov/volunteer/page.cfm?pg=2

Helping a homeless veteran, go to http://nchv.org/howtohelp.cfm

The history and events planned for Veterans Day, go to http://www1.va.gov/vetsday and http://www.infoplease.com/spot/veteransday1.html

Purchasing a flag and proper flag protocol, go to http://www.americanflags.com

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