How to show your appreciation
for the military in a unique time
United States military personnel
serve both domestically
and abroad. Active-duty
personnel are following in the
footsteps of retired veterans
and protecting the freedoms
of their fellow Americans
while also playing a vital role
in protecting millions of non-
Americans across the globe.
United States military personnel
make myriad sacrifi
ces every day. Recognition
of those sacrifi ces is just one
of the many ways Americans
can show their appreciation
for the military, even during
the era of social distancing.
• Help a veteran. According
to the U.S. Census Bureau,
as of 2019 there were 17.4
million military veterans living
in the United States. More
than half of those veterans
are 65 or older. As diffi cult
as social distancing during
the COVID-19 pandemic has
proven for everyone, perhaps
no group has sacrifi ced more
than men and women over 65,
millions of whom have been
separated from their families.
Aging men and women spent a
year or more isolated at home
to protect themselves from a
virus that public health offi -
cials acknowledged was especially
lethal to people over 65.
Adults who want to show their
appreciation for military veterans
can reach out to local
veterans’ organizations and
offer to lend a hand. Such organizations
may be delivering
meals to vulnerable veterans,
driving veterans to appointments
to see their doctors or
get vaccinated or organizing
events for veterans who have
already been vaccinated.
Pitching in to help with such
efforts is a great way to show
veterans their efforts are
still appreciated, even if it’s
been decades since they last
served.
A day to honor all veterans
BRONX TIMES R 40 EPORTER, NOV. 5-11, 2021 BTR
• Help a military family.
Data from the Offi ce of the Undersecretary
of Defense indicates
that there were roughly
1.3 million active-duty military
personnel in 2018. Many
of those service members
serve overseas for months at
a time. Their families back
home can use a helping hand
even in the best of times,
but they might be especially
needy while confronting the
pandemic. Though vaccination
projections suggest hundreds
of millions of Americans
will be fully vaccinated
by mid-summer, in the meantime
neighbors can help local
military families handle life
at home. Invite a local military
family over for a weekly
meal, offer to take kids to a
sports practice if it’s safe to do
so or help out with chores like
mowing the lawn or washing
the car.
• Donate to charities that
serve the military. Adults who
have not been vaccinated and
are hesitant to be around others
can still show their appreciation
for military service
members. Various organizations
help both active-duty
military and veterans, and
donating to such charities can
be a great way to help an excellent
cause. If you’re unsure
about which organization to
support, visit Charity Navigator
at charitynavigator.
org. Charity Navigator evaluates
hundreds of thousands of
charitable organizations and
can be an invaluable resource
for prospective donors.
Veterans and active military
personnel deserve support.
There are various ways
for people to express that support,
even as the world continues
to confront the pandemic.
Metro Graphics
A day to honor all veterans
(410 words, US, UK, CAN)
The month of November is a
special time for the nation’s
veterans. While Memorial
Day honors fallen soldiers
and service people, Veteran’s
Day, which takes place each
November, is an opportunity
to commemorate the efforts
of all who have been in the
armed forces, with a special
emphasis on living veterans.
While people are encouraged
to thank veterans throughout
the year, Veteran’s Day is
a particularly poignant time
to show your appreciation
for the men and women of the
military.
Veteran’s Day takes place
on November 11 and marks an
important moment in history.
On November 11, 1918, World
War I, known at the time as
“The Great War,” unoffi cially
ended when an armistice, or
temporary cessation of hostilities,
took place between Germany
and the Allied nations
on the eleventh hour of the
eleventh day of the eleventh
month. World War I ended on
paper when the Treaty of Versailles
was signed on June 28,
1919. In November 1919, President
Woodrow Wilson proclaimed
November 11 as the
fi rst commemoration of Armistice
Day, according to the
U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Armistice Day became a
federal holiday in the United
States in 1938. However, after
subsequent wars, including
World War II and the Korean
War, veterans’ service organizations
lobbied for Armistice
Day to be revised so it would
be more inclusive of all veterans.
On June 1, 1954, President
Dwight D. Eisenhower
signed legislation to strike
the word “Armistice” from
the holiday’s name in favor
of “Veterans.” Since then, November
11 has been known as
“Veterans Day” and has honored
veterans of all wars.
Veterans Day was moved
to the fourth Monday in October
for roughly seven years
under the Uniform Monday
Holiday Act, which sought to
ensure three-day weekends
for federal employees by celebrating
certain national holidays
on Mondays. But since
November 11 bore such signifi
cance, many states disapproved
and continued to
observe the holiday on November
11. In 1975, President
Gerald Ford signed legislation
to return the observation
of Veterans Day to November
11 beginning in 1978. Should
the day fall on a Saturday or
Sunday, the federal government
observes the holiday on
the previous Friday or following
Monday, respectively, according
to History.com.
The United States isn’t the
only country to celebrate its
veterans. Canada, Great Britain,
Australia, and France
also commemorate the veterans
of World War I and II on
or near November 11 as Remembrance
Day or Remembrance
Sunday.
Metro Graphics
/History.com