Today (November 11, 2021) is Veterans Day. And as we’re spending this month’s Gold News & Views examining the things that make us feel thankful, I want to step away from gold for a week and discuss a topic that’s very important to me as well as our entire team here at U.S. Money Reserve: showing our appreciation to veterans.
America has been celebrating Veterans Day for more than 100 years.
To me, it’s important not to just take a moment to be thankful for everything our veterans have done for our nation, but also to understand why we celebrate Veterans Day in the first place.
It’s incredible to consider, but the first Veterans Day in the United States took place in 1919, although under a different name. Originally known as Armistice Day, the holiday was established by President Woodrow Wilson as a way to honor the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, as well as all those who served during World War I. It wasn’t until 1954, nine years after the end of World War II and one year after the end of the Korean War, that the holiday was renamed Veterans Day by President Eisenhower to honor all American veterans.
Understanding this history helps us appreciate the importance of Veterans Day and those who choose to serve their nation in the military.
Programs exist to help you send messages of thanks to veterans.
When I say that I personally—and we as a company—believe strongly in showing our thanks to our nation’s veterans, I’m not just talking about on Veterans Day. We have our own special program, Wings of Gratitude, through which anyone can submit cards or letters of thanks, which are then sent to active military service members and veterans.
I’ve personally seen the effects that these messages of love and appreciation can have on someone. As a CEO, I understand the power of positive reinforcement—ensuring that someone’s hard work and sacrifices don’t go unnoticed. Wings of Gratitude takes that idea to a whole other level because the sacrifices made by the members of our nation’s armed forces are incredibly great.
But you don’t have to take it from me. J. R. Martinez is an Army veteran, burn survivor, actor, and author who travels the world spreading messages of resilience and optimism. Injured while on tour in Iraq, he understands firsthand the importance of receiving positive messages, both while on active duty and as a veteran. Here’s what J. R. has to say about working with us and Wings of Gratitude:
“As a veteran myself, I can’t express enough how much it means for people to show their gratitude when you have been through so much. Whether [on] active duty or experiencing the sacrifice and separation of being away from your loved ones, voices of support from back home can really make a positive difference.”
—J. R. Martinez, Army veteran and motivational speaker
After everything veterans have sacrificed, the least we can do is sacrifice a few minutes of our time to say thank you.
I can’t put this more plainly: Giving thanks for our veterans could literally save lives. It’s a sad reality that multiple organizations exist to assist veterans in living with the mental and emotional stress they may experience in the aftermath of their service. But by saying thanks and taking a few moments out of our day to show how much we appreciate their sacrifices, we may be able to raise the spirits of someone who may otherwise feel forgotten. As J. R. says in our Wings of Gratitude video, “I can tell you that it has the incredible power to rewire your mind, to rewire your heart, to make you fight a little bit longer…. I believe Wings of Gratitude can save lives.”
This Veterans Day, I encourage you to take a moment not only to consider all the reasons we should be thankful for our veterans, but also to actively give thanks by physically reaching out and letting a veteran know how much you appreciate their sacrifices. Because without those sacrifices, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy the freedoms we do today.
U.S. Money Reserve thanks our veterans for their service. Click here to learn more about the Wings of Gratitude program and send your own message of thanks.
