Veterans Day is a national holiday, but it is not a "happy" day. It is a day to remember, not to rejoice. Some of the vets you will encounter are not exactly happy about what they had to do. They did it because it needed to be done, and they did not shirk their duty. But when you remember being gory with what used to be your best friend, it is not a "happy" day for you. When you remember being on watch for eight hours after working for eight hours, it is not "happy." When you remember spending a year at sea or in the sand box, it is not "happy."
It's remember. Preferably, remember with gratitude. Somebody asked me what is the appropriate thing to say to a veteran on Veterans Day. He would usually say "Happy Veterans Day" but he always felt weird about it. I told him: say "Thank you."
He said, "Thank you for your service."
I said, "You're welcome."
That's all you need to say. If you want do something nice for a vet, do it. If you can pick up their tab at the restaurant, or mow their grass, or whatever, that's great. But don't "happy" at them. It is not always so happy a thing to be a veteran. Maybe we are happy to be alive, but that is every day not just Veterans Day.
We know what day it is. You don't have to remind us what it's called. Just acknowledge it.
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