Every year around early November I get a little squeamish.
There’s an awkward, but somewhat prideful confusion that swells up inside of me. And that’s because I know November 11th, Veterans Day, is on the horizon. It’s a time where Veterans can go to countless restaurants for a free cheeseburger, the NFL will sell the latest Salute to Service hoodies for $120, and all Americans can get a sweet deal on a brand-new mattress.
For many who served, Veterans Day is a wonderful thing. They can celebrate and enjoy the day without reservation. But for many Veterans, it can be a complex day full of tangled emotions. On one hand, the free meals and the free haircut, along with the barrage of Facebook posts, all seem like too much. On the other hand, how is one day enough to show thanks for the countless sacrifices made by the men and women who have served?
I often find myself struck with heavy dose of guilt. I feel like it’s unnecessary, and that I didn’t do anything to deserve this. Yes, I served my country, including two deployments to the Middle East. But I willingly chose to sign those papers. No one made me do that. I went, I did my job, and I came home. I certainly don’t deserve a free meal at Olive Garden and a free car wash once a year for the rest of my life. Do I?
But all of this is just barely scratching the top layer of a much, much deeper issue. Being a Veteran is already complex enough. But even more so in 2026. With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq 20 years in the past, the war in Iran is ongoing, with seemingly no end in sight. Caring about the Veterans of your given conflict, while also worrying about Veterans of wars past, present, and future is a unique burden that Veterans have the privilege of carrying.
An important disclaimer, of course, is that I can’t speak for all Veterans. To suggest that I can is like saying an Indiana graduate can speak for every student to ever set foot on campus in Bloomington. While there will be shared bonds and experiences that will last a lifetime, the reality is that every single Veteran will have their own unique experiences and perspectives, and thus, their own unique path forward.
I was one of the fortunate ones during the Global War on Terror. As a young soldier, I came home whole, both physically and mentally. I was able to shed the uniform and easily transition back into college and civilian life. Time, and hopefully wisdom, were necessary ingredients for me to realize my time in the military impacted me more than I realized. But It’s painful to say that many of my brothers and sisters were not as fortunate as I was.
Physical wounds aside, which there are many, the mental toll of fighting in two separate Forever Wars has been devastating. The number of Veterans from these conflicts that suffer from PTSD, anxiety, depression, and addiction is staggering. Our country sent young men and women off to war, often over and over again, and they returned having endured unspeakable trauma that human beings were never meant to experience.
So where does that leave us? As Christians, as followers of Jesus, how do we respond this Veterans Day? How should we respond?
This of course is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are a few suggestions:
You can show gratitude by offering to take a Veteran you know out to breakfast or write them a sincere, thoughtful card. Or if you’re feeling extra generous – you can offer to pay for a Veteran’s Meal – for the whole family. Because of course that free meal (from a special limited menu) at Texas Roadhouse doesn’t cover a drink, tip, or anyone else at the table.
You can offer a listening ear. Maybe you know someone who served in Vietnam, or Bosnia, or Iraq. It must be done with genuine care, but you can offer to buy them a cup of coffee and give them a chance to share about their time in the military. They might say no, and that’s ok. But they also might say yes, and perhaps, a chance to talk about their experiences – with someone sincerely listening - is exactly what they need.
And lastly, of course we can pray. We can pray for those who have served our country. We can pray for healing and peace for the trauma, scars, and wounds that so many Veterans carry. And we can pray for the countless invisible wounds that so many Veterans endure every single day. We can pray for their families and loved ones. We can pray for an end to the war in Iran. And we can cry out to God that we would live to see a day in which the horrors of war cease to exist.