“It’s about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It’s about making sure they have the care they need and the benefits that they’ve earned when they come home. It’s about serving all of you as well as you’ve served the United States of America.”
— Barack Obama
Veterans Day is a day to honor those who served and who have had the fortune of coming back home. Central Park wishes to thank all who have served in the military and paved the way for this country’s greatness.
Here are some stories from some Central Park neighbors that honor those in their families that served:
Central Park resident Tanya gives praise to her late grandfather every day for serving in the military, along with more than five other members of her family.
“The only reason I’m here is because my Grandpa Charles fell in love with my Grandma during a tour stop that took him to the Philippines while he was in the Navy. He also served in Vietnam. My family proudly serves in the military to the extent that I’m practically the only one who didn’t choose that path. But I honor all of them every day by sharing their stories.”
“I’m proud of the veterans in my family!” say Tanya. Here are some of her other family members serving in the military.
Brother Dennis served two tours of duty with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan.
Uncle Lee (U.S. Marines) and Aunt Charita (U.S. Army) were stationed in Japan.
Sister, Samantha, U.S. Army, served two tours in Afghanistan. (pictured)
Brother Chris, U.S. Army, was stationed in Korea for several years.
Let’s also salute Central Park resident and Councilman Christopher Herndon for his service as a Captain in the U.S. Army with deployments to Kosovo as well as Iraq. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
During this time we are also reminded that back is 2015, Central Park builder Wonderland Homes, in partnership with Brookfield Properties Development (at the time Forest City) honored U.S. military veteran Sgt. Marco Dominguez and his family with the gift of stability and peace of mind with a home as part of Operation Finally Home.
Whether you have veterans in your family or not, there are several ways to honor your favorite military veterans in your community. Here are 10 examples:
Donate to a Worthy Veterans Cause – In trying to find the perfect military gift for your favorite veteran, follow their example and pay it forward with a donation to a worthy veterans’ cause. Various charities and organizations in the U.S. advocate for and act on veteran support initiatives. They include, but are not limited to:
- Disabled American Veterans (DAV) www.dav.org – With its more than 1.2 million members, Disabled American Veterans is an organization that offers substantial help to disabled veterans and families of disabled veterans in the form of various acts of service.
- Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) www.woundedwarriorproject.org – The Wounded Warrior Project focuses on the difficult rehabilitation and recovery process that many of our nation’s finest face after being wounded during active duty.
- Homes for Our Troops (HFOT) www.hfotusa.org – One of the major hardships overlooked in the care of wounded veterans is their ability to re-adapt to their homes after incurring debilitating injuries throughout their service. Often, home renovations and adaptations that allow, for example, accessibility and ease of use of a wheelchair throughout are costly and inaccessible to veterans.
Fly Your Flag Correctly
- One great way to show that you proudly support military members and veterans today and every day is by properly flying the American flag at your home or place of work.
- But remember, flying Old Glory isn’t just about throwing the stars and stripes up in the most convenient way to you. There are rules and regulations laid out in the Flag Code that should be followed when hoisting and lowering the flag.
- As written in the code itself, “No disrespect should be shown to the Flag of the United States of America.” Handling and displaying your flag incorrectly is, in fact, disrespectful to the very ideals that the servicemembers you are looking to honor spent their entire career defending.
Ask a veteran about their time in the military, and really listen to the answer.
Lay wreaths at a military cemetery – If your community has a cemetery, ask if you can lay small flags or wreaths on the graves of veterans. This is done at larger national cemeteries around the country and a nice way to show your remembrance.
Teach someone (a child, a friend, a neighbor) what it means to be a Veteran.
Look up your ancestry and learn about someone in your family who was a veteran.
Volunteer! This online tool identifies volunteer opportunities at local VA offices. You can also join the Volunteer Transportation Network to help veterans get to appointments at VA medical facilities. You can also find ways to help veterans and their families on VolunteerMatch.
Sponsor a service dog. Service dogs can help veterans living with PTSD and other disabilities regain control, independence and mobility. Freedom Service Dogs of America match highly specialized service dogs with service members needing assistance in their transition back to civilian life. Puppies Behind Bars is a program in which prisoners train companion dogs for veterans with PTSD. Donors can sponsor a dog and receive updates on the dog’s training and life with its veteran.
Donate travel points – The Fisher House operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flier miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members. The Fisher House Foundation has a network of homes on the grounds of military and VA hospitals around the country. These homes help family members be close during the hospitalization of a loved one for a combat injury, illness or disease.
Share their stories –So many veterans’ stories have been left untold, but the Library of Congress is collecting the tales from veterans of every war through the Veterans History Project. If you are related to a veteran or know one who has a story to tell, the Library of Congress wants to hear it. Help veterans share their stories before it’s too late.
This Veteran’s Day let’s all take time to celebrate those around us that have served.
