Americans celebrate Memorial Day in the spring and Veterans Day in the fall. While it can be easy to confuse the two holidays, Memorial Day is set aside to honor American’s war dead; Veterans Day is intended to honor the service of all U.S. veterans, both living and dead.

 In fact, celebrations surrounding Veterans Day often place a special emphasis on thanking all living U.S. military veterans who have or are currently serving in any U.S. armed service.  And it’s the perfect time for all Americans to show appreciation for their service.

The best way to thank a military U.S. veteran for his or her service depends on the individual and his or her needs. But the most important thing is to do something to show your gratitude.

 Here are 10 ideas to get you thinking about how to be grateful for veterans on November 11.

•  Raise. Display the American flag in your yard to demonstrate your support of veterans everywhere.
• Listen. Strike up a conversation with a disabled or homeless veteran and be an active listener as you hear about their experience.
• Speak. Simply say, “Thank you” to veterans you see.
• Reach out. Contact a disabled or homeless veteran whom you know and spend some quality time together.
• Support. Send a donation to organizations that support the special needs of veterans.
• Find. Trace your ancestry and identify how many veterans are in your family.
• Write. Send a letter to someone who’s currently serving in the military.
• Visit. Visit a disabled veteran in his or her home or a homeless veteran on the street.
• Learn. Educate yourself on the challenges veterans face when retiring from service to rejoin civilian life.
• Share. Use your social media to help celebrate Veteran’s Day and acknowledge the service of all veterans.

 To learn more ways to honor a veteran on November 11, visit http://www.wallawalla.va.gov/Misc/Honor_Veteran.asp.  

 To all our American heroes, we at Pierson and Fendley Insurance in Paris, Bonham and DeKalb Texas thank you for your service to our country.

Serving Lamar, Fannin, and Bowie counties and all of Texas.