The military service of more than 16 million veterans will be recognized at home and abroad in a time-honored tradition that dates back to the first great world war. 

Veterans Day, observed Friday as a national holiday and annually on November 11, celebrates American veterans and active-duty military personnel for “their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good,” according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

The way Veterans Day is acknowledged hasn’t changed too much since the tradition began more than a century ago. 

People all over the country observe the day in “schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples,” just like Congress wrote in a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926. And sometimes parades. 

Banks, schools, post offices and other businesses close their doors in observance of Veterans Day. Recognition of a veteran’s sacrifice is also another important Veterans Day celebration component. 

There is no one right way to thank a veteran for their service, but knowing how to approach a veteran might make the kind gesture a little bit easier.

Here are a couple of tips, whether you are thinking of reaching out to a veteran in your life, crafting a social media post, or donating your time this Veterans Day. 

Here’s what we know. 

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What is the best way to thank a veteran for their service?

Wishing a veteran a ‘Happy Veterans Day’ or making your appreciation known by way of saying ‘Thank you for your service’ is certainly an appropriate way to acknowledge a veteran, Marine Corp veteran Wilton Williamson Jr. and VP of Connection at the Wounded Warrior Project shared with USA Today. 

There are a number of factors that influence how a veteran might prefer to be recognized for their service like background, personal experience, or age. 

• About 70% of younger military service members and veterans say they feel uncomfortable or awkward when someone says "Thank you for your service" to them.
• Only about 24% of military service members and veterans aged 65+ say they feel uncomfortable or awkward when someone says the phrase to them, according to a survey sponsored by USAA. 
• Older military service members or veterans are 76% more likely than the younger generation to connect with each other in person on the holiday.
• Younger military or veterans prefers to connect via social media. 

In response to findings, USAA is introducing an initiative called "Go Beyond Thanks" this Veterans Day to encourage the American public to engage in thoughtful conversations, volunteer their time, or donate to honor military service members or veterans. 

A “Thank you for your service” is certainly always appreciated, even if its a bit generic, U.S. Army veteran John Fernandez told USA Today. 

A workaround to the generic phrasing might be to just tell a veteran, “‘Hey, I appreciate you’ and ‘I appreciate your service to this country,’” Fernandez said. 

“I know that veterans are proud of their service, but a lot of people come back with memories that they’d rather not have and maybe being thanked reminds them of that. I can’t get into every veteran’s head, but I think it can resonate differently if its more of a personal thing,” Fernandez said. 

You are letting me know you just appreciate my veteran aura, but you appreciate me, which brings it to a more personal level, Fernandez said.

Veterans often don’t see themselves as needing to be thanked, which is why the sentiment can be very awkward for a veteran to hear, Air Force veteran and Commander of the South Dakota American Legion chapter Courtney Steffen shared with USA Today. 

“We are in a world of an all-volunteer service. We weren’t drafted like they were in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam. I think, especially with a younger generation of veterans, it can feel a little awkward to be thanked for something you knew you were signing up for," Steffen said. "But I think it's very appropriate for people thank somebody and acknowledge them for the sacrifice that comes with that time of service.”

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What are some other ways I can honor a veteran or veterans on Veterans Day?

An acknowledgement, as we have learned, is timely and appropriate but a nice follow-up would be to ask if there’s anything you can do and listen to see what a veteran has to say, Williamson said. 

“They might surprise you. They might be like ‘Well, I’m good or they might say ‘I’m really trying to do X, Y,Z.’ Then you can see if you can support a veteran right then and there,” Williamson added. 

It's one way of letting others know that we are thinking about them or supporting them, according to Williamson. 

“Even having a thought about these people [veterans] top of mind is better than not thinking about them at all, right? Because I think a lot of people of go throughout their day to day not even realizing that this is very important.” 

Here are a couple other ways you can honor a veteran: 

• Attending a Veterans Day service, ceremony, or parade
• Volunteering your time 
• Donating to veteran service organizations 
• Posting on social media

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