What I Really Know About Honoring Soldiers - AARP Bulletin

Honoring Soldiers

An aged veteran and his elderly bride were lunching in a Wendy's one day. He was wearing a cap with the insignia of his unit. I asked his wife whether he was a World War II veteran, and when she said yes, I said, "Would you please tell him thanks and give him this for me?" and gave her a hug.

At a concession stand, with my twentysomething kids alongside, I anonymously bought the Marine behind us his iced tea and granola bar — and I got a hug from my vehemently antiwar son!

I've hugged our Vietnam vet postman, a lovely female Israeli soldier in Tel Aviv, and Operation Iraqi Freedom soldiers in the airport. I plan to continue doing so, at least until someone says, "Ewwww! Quit that!"

I don't know if they feel honored, but I hope they feel appreciated!

The AARP Bulletin's "What I Really Know" column comes from our readers. Each month we solicit short personal essays on a selected topic and post some of our favorites in print and online. Michele Bartlett is a reader from Littleton, Co.


Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.