9 Meaningful Ways to Honor a Veteran and Make Them Feel Valued

Do you have a veteran in your life that you want to honor for their service? Whether the veteran in your life is a spouse, child, family member, or friend, here are 9 ways to honor them and make them feel valued.

1. Get them a custom crystal military plaque

The veteran in your life will absolutely love being presented with a custom crystal military plaque in honor of the sacrifices they’ve made to serve their country. Military personnel not only sacrifice their time and often their physical wellbeing, but they sacrifice everything that comes with having a regular life.

Military personnel don’t get to wake up every morning, work a 9-5 job, and then come home to their families. Depending on the circumstances under which they’re deployed, they encounter sleepless nights and horrific experiences that most people can’t even imagine. They don’t get to go home at the end of the day and sleep in peace, especially when they’re deployed in the middle of a war.

The sacrifices made by veterans are countless. Gifting your veteran with a personalized plaque is a wonderful way to acknowledge those sacrifices in a way that will be a visible recognition they can see every day in their home.

2. Ask them to speak at an event about leadership

If you run a business, ask the veteran in your life to speak about leadership and share their stories from their time serving in the military.

There are few people who know more about leadership than veterans. Often put in extremely difficult situations, veterans can share stories of bravery and intelligence that will make any boardroom shudder.

The fact that many military personnel have had to make quick leadership decisions staked on life or death makes them great sources of wisdom where leadership is concerned.

3. Throw a huge retirement party

Nothing screams ‘appreciation’ quite like a huge retirement party. Whether your veteran already had a retirement party before they came into your life doesn’t matter. Throw them another one!

You don’t have to create a formal ceremony since the military will already conduct their own. However, you can throw a big party without making it formal. Although, if you choose to go the formal route, there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, you might have more fun creating formal invitations and using high-end decorations.

At the party, have all of your guests come prepared to read a short statement of appreciation for the veteran. You may want to rent a professional microphone for the occasion and hire a videographer to record the event.

Remember to invite your neighbors, too!

4. Create a special discount at your business for veterans in their honor

In your loved one’s honor, create a special discount for military personnel. If you already have a discount, run a new promotion. If you don’t already have a discount, consider offering 10% off or if you sell food, give away free food to military personnel one day out of the week.

Talk with your veteran to get ideas. So many businesses offer discounts for veterans, but those discounts aren’t always enough to make a difference. If everyone gets 10% off, it doesn’t feel all that special. Brainstorm to see if there’s a better way you can create a special deal for military personnel that will make them feel valued.

5. Donate to an organization in their name and honor

A great way to honor the veteran(s) in your life is to donate money, time, or other resources to organizations that exist to help veterans.

There are all kinds of charities and nonprofit organizations that help veterans get access to affordable healthcare, mental health services, food, and even rental assistance.

Some of the top-rated nonprofits that help veterans include:

· Air Warrior Courage Foundation

· Adaptive Sports Center

· Fisher House Foundation

· Higher Ground

· K9s for Warriors

· Operation Second Chance

· Yellow Ribbon Fund

· Wounded Warrior Project

· Puppies Behind Bars

· Spirit of America

If your veteran doesn’t need any personal help, the next best thing you can do is help other veterans in their honor. They’ll think the world of you.

6. Design a custom military award plaque

Another type of personalized plaque you can gift is a military award plaque. You can customize the award plaque with any text you like, including a special congratulatory message or prayer.

The best plaques for military personnel are ones that display the American flag at the top of the award. Seeing the flag when they see their award will keep their sense of patriotism alive, along with their feelings of gratitude for being acknowledged.

7. Take your veteran out to dinner

Sharing a good meal is a great way to honor the veteran in your life. They’ll appreciate the good food, the company, and great conversation.

Find out where your veteran loves to eat and take them out for a meal. Better yet, make it a regular thing. Plan to go out every Friday night or whenever it’s convenient. They’ll have plenty of stories to tell that one dinner won’t cover.

8. Acknowledge your veteran with words

While gifts and parties are great ways to honor a veteran, don’t forget to provide your words of acknowledgment. They know you can’t understand the extent of what they’ve experienced, but that’s okay. Nobody but other veterans will ever know the true cost or extent of those sacrifices.

Still, let them know you don’t know the full extent of the impact of their sacrifices and you appreciate everything they’ve given.

9. Ask what you can do for them

When trying to do good for other people, it’s easy to forget to ask them what they need. Talk to your veteran and ask them if you can do anything specific for them. Sometimes helping other people and supporting them doesn’t look like a big party or a fancy gift. Sometimes people just need an ear, a hug, or some company.

Veterans have sacrificed more than most people know – honor them at every chance

With all the sacrifices veterans have made, honor them every chance you get. Shower them with gifts, acknowledgments, and care.

Browse our site for more military award plaques for new retirees or long-time veterans.