Photo by Wesley Tingey on Unsplash
In the year 1918 at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month a cease-fire was announced between Germany and the Allies effectively ending World War I. In the U.S. this date would later be recast as a day to honor all veterans of the United States armed forces and is now known as Veterans Day.
Officially a Federal holiday, the stock market will remain open as will most other private businesses.
Normally on Veterans Day I like to take in a parade or event. This year, of course, that won’t be happening. The MN Department of Veterans Affairs will post a 30-minute video honoring Minnesota Veterans on the 11th. That may have to do. You can find a link to their website here: https://mn.gov/mdva/news/events/?id=1066-450450
Educate yourself. Another way to honor a vet… read a book, preferably one about history. There is no shortage of books and movies about war, but I really like historical non-fiction that tells the narrative of how war affected the lives of people who lived through it.
Some my favorite authors include Wolfgang Samuel who wrote German Boy, a memoir about his life as a young boy growing up in Germany during WWII. And Alex Kershaw, who has written several books including the “soon to be released on Netflix” Liberator.
Of course, there is the all-time greatest book of this genre, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. The story of Olympic runner Louis Zamperini and his experiences in World War II, as an American POW, and as a man struggling with the effects of war long after it was over, Unbroken provides a great historical context of what was happening in the world 75 years ago and why it is still relevant today.
Make a financial gift. This year Veterans Day coincides with Minnesota’s annual Give To The Max Day. GTMD is officially November 19th but the website started accepting financial donations on November 1st.
Even if you take the standard deduction on your taxes, your cash donation of up to $300 may be tax deductible. The CARES Act created an above-the-line deduction for cash donations known as the Universal Deduction to allow for charitable contributions to qualified non-profits (typically 501c3 organizations).
Thank you! To all the veterans reading this, thank you for your service.