Kevin here again to talk about Veteran’s Day!
On Veterans Day, the simplest and most meaningful thing you can do is look a veteran in the eye, offer a handshake, and say, “Thank you for coming home.”
That phrase matters. Veterans Day is not a day of mourning. It is a day to recognize the living men and women who wore the uniform, served honorably, and returned to civilian life—often carrying experiences the rest of us will never fully understand.
At Veteran Valor Coffee, this day hits close to home. As a veteran-owned company, we know the difference between the three military-related days on the American calendar, and we want to help others understand them too.
Thank you for coming home. That is the whole point of the day.
The Three Days and What They Actually Mean
These observances are often treated as interchangeable, but they honor different groups:
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May) is a day of remembrance for those who died in military service. It began after the Civil War as Decoration Day, when communities placed flowers on the graves of the fallen. The National Moment of Remembrance at 3 p.m. local time is meant to be a pause for reflection, not a kickoff to summer.
- Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May) honors those currently serving in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force. It is a recognition of the people who are on duty right now—on ships, at bases, and in deployed locations around the world.
- Veterans Day (November 11) honors everyone who has served, living and deceased, with a particular emphasis on living veterans. It began as Armistice Day, marking the end of World War I on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1954 it was renamed Veterans Day to recognize all who have served.
Knowing the difference is a form of respect.
Three different days. Three different groups. The flags do not change. The meaning does.
Remembering Those Still Deployed
One of the simplest ongoing traditions is R.E.D. Friday—Remember Everyone Deployed. The idea is straightforward: wear something red on Fridays as a visible reminder that service members are still overseas, standing watch, and away from their families. It started in the mid-2000s through chain emails and grassroots efforts by military families and has stuck around because deployments never fully stopped.
Care packages are another practical way people try to show support. The intent is good, but the execution matters. Deployed environments are hard on packages. Extreme heat, long transit times, and limited storage mean certain items become a mess rather than a morale boost.
Ice cream is a classic example. Historically, ice cream has been a major morale item for sailors and soldiers—ships even ran special ice cream operations in World War II, and bases still treat it as a treat. But sending actual ice cream in a care package is a non-starter. It melts, ruins everything else in the box, and arrives as a sad puddle. Freeze-dried versions or other shelf-stable snacks hold up better. Beef jerky, nuts, hard candy, drink mixes, toiletries, socks, and handwritten notes consistently rank higher among troops than anything perishable or fragile.
Then there’s the steak-and-lobster folklore. In military circles, “surf and turf” in the dining facility carries a long-running joke (or warning): if they’re serving steak and lobster, something is about to change. Deployment extension, a hard mission, or other unwelcome news. It is not official policy—bases serve special meals for holidays, birthdays, and morale events—but the association is strong enough that many service members still side-eye the chow line when lobster appears. The humor is dark for a reason. Fancy food sometimes arrives right before the news gets worse.
Practical items that survive the trip. Beef jerky, socks, a note, and a red shirt for Friday.
Thoughtful support looks like practical items that survive the journey and actually get used, not the things that sound nice on a grocery list back home.
Presidents Who Served
Military service has long been common among American presidents. Roughly two-thirds of the men who have held the office served in uniform at some point—ranging from militia captains to five-star generals.
George Washington commanded the Continental Army. Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower rose to the highest ranks. Theodore Roosevelt led the Rough Riders. John F. Kennedy commanded a PT boat in the Pacific and earned the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. George H. W. Bush flew combat missions as a naval aviator and was shot down. Others served in the Civil War, World War II, or various state militias and the National Guard.
Not every president was a combat veteran, and service is not a requirement for the office. Still, the pattern reflects something real: a large share of the country’s leaders have worn the uniform and understood the institution they would later command as Commander in Chief.
From Our Team
Veterans Day is a chance to say thank you to the people who came home—and to remember that others are still out there. Whether it’s a handshake, a red shirt on Friday, a practical care package, or simply learning the difference between the three days, small acts of recognition add up.
At Veteran Valor Coffee, we remain grateful for the service of those who came before us and those still serving. Thank you for coming home.
Thank you for your time.
Kevin Laughrin
Medically retired LSSN, VFA-103 “The Jolly Rogers”
Marketing and Communications Director at Veteran Valor Coffee
www.veteranvalorcoffee.com
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