Have you thanked a Veteran today?

There are numerous days throughout the year that are set aside to honor veterans. Memorial Day honors those Veterans who have died while Veteran’s Day honors all those Veterans that are living.

Not all Veterans got the chance to deploy on a mission in support of a war. And because of that not all Veterans qualify for Veteran Affair benefits.

Having served almost 4 years, I was medically discharged and I didn’t get to deploy with my unit, the 333rd MP! I remember my squad leader and one of the squad members coming up to RIC (Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) after my accident with a plaque and to ask me if I wanted to go with them to Egypt. I was going to be a driver.

I obviously wasn’t thinking because I would never recover to a point where the military would have kept me. The 333rd never did go to Egypt but instead went to Afghanistan.

On days throughout the year, notably Veteran’s Day where Veterans and sometimes active military members are treated to free meals or even discounts. It’s hard for me to go after these because of the crowd of Veterans.

However today I wore my “Paralyzed Veteran Racing” shirt to Subway when I met my mom for lunch. After we ordered and paid, the cashier noticed my shirt and asked me if I was a Veteran. I said yes and she offered to void the transaction that paid for the meal. I wasn’t expecting that and I told her she didn’t have to. She did it anyways and we shook hands saying “Thank  you for your Service”.

That kindness just blew me away. It was great to be appreciated!

Moral of the story, have you thanked a Veteran today?