Honoring Our Veterans: Showing Gratitude for a Debt That Can Never Be Repaid - Essay Sample

Introduction

Veterans selflessly and courageously fought for the nation in numerous wars, shaping the country that Americans now call home. It is all because of veterans that America is a free nation, they risked their lives and spent a significant amount of their life hoping to make the country a better place for the future generations (Castro, 2017). Every time they went to war, they knew they would not come back, but they did not think twice about going into battle. Therefore, Americans must properly appreciate the veterans for their selfless acts.

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Most people respect and honor the veterans but do not have any idea of how to show their gratitude. One does not have to spend millions to appreciate and support veterans and their families; it only takes little effort and resources to show appreciation to the heroes of the nation as the simple things like stopping and saying thank you to the veterans matter to them. Individual citizens can visit the veterans more frequently to keep them company and appreciate their hard work and sacrifices (Fransic, 2018). Most veterans are old and lonely, and they would appreciate having somebody visit them at their homes or the hospital when they get sick. Nothing says and feels as an appreciation like visiting the needy. Although one may not realize the impact they make by visiting the veterans, their presence means a lot to them.

Citizens can also show their appreciation for the veterans in the community by attending events that honor the veterans in the community. From visiting the memorial park to being at appreciation dinners, there are numerous ways someone can engage in community activities that honor veterans. One way to remember and pay respect to the fallen heroes is by visiting memorials, cemeteries, and remembrance tributes and leave flags or flowers to show support for those who ultimately sacrificed their lives for the country. The veteran families also require the recognition and support of Americans (Castro, 2017). Children and spouses of the veteran need physical and emotional support, especially for those who lost their members in the war. An individual can offer to visit them with a package, spend time together, and encourage them to be strong throughout the hard times.

Moreover, individuals, especially the healthcare professionals can show their support by volunteering to sign up through the US Veteran Affairs to offer their services to the veterans in need of both inpatient and outpatient health care (Nathaniel & Hardman, 2017). Volunteering one's time and service saves the department enough funds that can be used to provide quality care to the veterans. Many places in the states also offer discounts to veterans in November of every year to support and appreciate their sacrifices (Fransic, 2018). However, if financially capable, one can present them not only in November but throughout the year. Most veterans do not announce their status for financial gain and choose to remain humble, but they will appreciate the recognition and monetary support. Therefore, if in a business, one can gift them with a sizeable discount and include the savings in their transactions. Further, Homes for Our Troops is an organization that builds houses specifically for the injured veterans that served the military since 2001 (Fransic, 2018). People can show their support for the veterans by making their contributions to the organization to support their services to the former militants.

Conclusion

Conclusively, veterans are essential and distinctive people in society. Their services to the country decades ago have made people live freely as citizens of America. Some of the ways people can appreciate and support veterans include visiting them and their families at their homes, visiting memorials and cemeteries to pay respect for the fallen soldiers, volunteering to work with the Veteran Affairs, offering discounts, and making contributions to Homes for Our Troops. Veterans choose to live humble lives, and although they do not announce their status, they appreciate every effort Americans make to support and show their gratitude.

References

Castro, C. A., Kintzle, S., & Hassan, A. (2017). The state of the American veteran. Los Angeles, CA: Center for innovation and research on veterans and military families, school of social work, University of California. http://shininglotus.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/San-Francisco-Veterans-Report.pdf

Fransic, T. (2018). Five ways to show appreciation to our veterans year-round. The Integration Group of America's Inc. https://www.tiga.us/blog/5-ways-to-show-appreciation-to-our-veterans-year-round

Nathaniel, A. K., & Hardman, L. (2017). Caring with honor: A grounded theory of caring for veterans within the veterans' health administration. Grounded theory review, 16(1). https://web.b.ebscohost.com/abstract?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=15561542&AN=124005690&h=LVFJ2QCF9o7ZS3%2bIXykTfYkND7YbZqlH9BwgAzMYM7%2foCQv4qgVhNtxnnor0Orb%2fP3V6FgkWt6OlC6hNMgS5Jw%3d%3d&crl=c&resultNs=AdminWebAuth&resultLocal=ErrCrlNotAuth&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d15561542%26AN%3d124005690