I am not a fan of holidays or choosing a specific date to celebrate something. I try to enjoy every day as much as I can.

I also make sure that every day I let those I care about know they mean something to me.

My Veterans Day Tradition

Every year on Veteran’s day I send out messages or write a blog post mentioning those veterans that I admire.

It is always a difficult task because I don’t want to disclose to many of their personal stories on my blog.

Those are their stories to tell.

Helping those that Help Our Less Fortunate Veterans

I also make sure I remind you to help organizations like Invisible People and my friend Mark Horvath. Mark takes care of the less fortunate veterans which are without a home and might be invisible to the rest of us. He runs my favorite charity because most of the money goes to help those in need. So if you want to help Mark help more veterans, stop by invisiblepeople.tv and make a donation.

Accepting that I too am a Veteran

A few years ago my best friend Alex Burgos who is a decorated combat veteran reminded me I am a veteran too. When we were teenagers we became a bit more like brothers than anything else. Alex and I grew up in a rough neighborhood; we were not involved in illegal activities or drug dealing. As a kid, he was like my battle buddy and to this day when Alex is around, we get talk, laugh, and enjoy our time together.

Alex is still serving after two tours in Afghanistan and one in Iraq. I admire Alex’s commitment towards the career he has chosen. On one Veteran’s Day as I congratulated him, he convinced me that I also had made the decision to serve.

I also thank Alex for allowing me to accept that although I did not serve in combat, I chose to enlist at the age of 17.

Time Goes by and My Admiration Grows

As I look back, I can’t believe that this November marks 18 years since I made that decision.

With time, my admiration for Veterans has grown even more.

I have also seen that appreciating Veterans has become something more relevant.

Companies who Appreciate our Veterans

I see the press focusing on what is not done for veterans but I don’t see enough to put the spotlight on those that decide to appreciate our Veterans.

Opposite of what some NFL teams are doing to benefit economically by creating Veteran events, there are many organizations like Jetblue that offer discounts to Veterans like me. A benefit I have used on multiple occasions.

I wanted to include a list that I was able to quickly curate with the help of some Facebook friends.

The list includes places that are offering Veterans a meal or some sort of gift during Veterans Day. Feel free to add other offers in my timeline.

Places in Puerto Rico Offering Veterans a Gift

Local Small Businesses

It is even more admirable for a small business to offer something to veteran. Way to go TBC.

• TBC food & drink

Franchise Offers

• Applebee’s
• Macaroni Grill
• Olive Garden – Always provides 20% discount for Veterans

Other deals throughout the U.S.

We had the chance to work with our client and friends at Uncle Gussy’s to create a landing page where you can thank you favorite veteran. If they happen to be in Midtown New York city. Lunch is on Uncle Gussys.

• Thank Your Favorite Veteran – Uncle Gussys’ Food Truck
• Where to find Veterans Day freebies (USA Today)
  • Denny’s
  • Starbucks
  • IHOP
  • Panera Bread
  • Olive Garden
  • Applebee’s
  • Outback Steakhouse and more

 

What are you doing to make sure any veteran around you is shown appreciation?