As the nation prepares to observe Veterans Day, USAA is calling for a national moment of gratitude with the launch of the “Connect with a Veteran” movement. The movement is meant to encourage all Americans to go beyond a simple thank you, pause and be intentional in showing appreciation and connection to our nation’s 17 million veterans. This can be done by sending a text, picking up the phone or visiting face-to-face. Not only is this action meant to create a meaningful and supportive connection to our veterans, but it is also a small step to help address the loneliness epidemic that has been recorded at increased levels.
“As Veterans Day parades and celebrations dwindle compared to years past, besides thanking us for our service and providing sales discounts, we have found that many Americans aren’t sure how to show their appreciation for our nation’s veterans,” said Air Force Maj. Gen. (Ret) Bob LaBrutta, vice president of survivorship and claims at USAA. “With our busy lives, there’s nothing more important than being intentional and taking time to make a connection to show appreciation on a personal basis. Whether it’s reaching out to a neighbor or friend who served to see how they’re doing, taking a veteran to get a cup of coffee or a meal, or showing up at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, an Americans Legion assembly, or even a Veterans Administration hospital to introduce yourself, say hello, and listen to their stories. It’s a mantra that runs deep in the military – look to the left and look to the right to make sure your battle buddies, shipmates, devil dogs, wingmen, Guardians, or Coasties are okay.”
While connecting with a veteran at any time on Veterans Day is appropriate, USAA is encouraging those who want to participate in the initiative to do so at 11:00 a.m. local time on Nov. 11 in a nod to Armistice Day, the precursor to Veterans Day, which effectively ended World War I in 1918.
Americans can go beyond Nov. 11 to show their appreciation of our veterans and make an impact through events, volunteering and donating to causes like Face the Fight®, a veteran suicide prevention initiative founded by USAA, Reach Resilience, and the Humana Foundation. In coordination with Veterans Day, USAA will match donations up to $1 million through Nov. 30. Money donated to the Face the Fight charitable fund will be granted by USAA to nonprofit organizations that support initiatives focused on preventing veteran suicide and breaking the stigma around seeking help. With a veteran suicide rate that exceeds that of the general public, Face the Fight, with its coalition of more than 200 organizations, is working to bring scalable resources and programs to our veterans facing challenges.
To learn more about how you can participate and show your appreciation on Nov. 11 and beyond, please visit USAA.com/veteransday.