Veteran's Day

Wednesday was Veteran's Day. Mr. Right always says that that's the day when all the Veteran's have to work. This cynical observation probably had it's roots in the fact that every Veteran's Day I would have the day off and I'm not a veteran while he had to work and he is a veteran.

Wednesday he came home from work and said that he had seen on the internet that veterans could eat free at Applebee's. We looked into it a little and the article said that there were a variety of documents one could take with them to prove that they had served in the military..papers like the DD214 which is the discharge document from active service. Well, nobody carries that around especially after almost 40 years. So I called Applebee's to see if our local restaurant was participating in this event and the manager who answered the phone assured me that they were. Then I asked what proof we had to bring and he pointed out some of the documents that were listed online. Since we didn't have any of those handy, I said how about his membership card from the American Legion where you have to be a veteran to belong and he replied, "Sure, I'll take that". How agreeable.

The impressive thing about this 'free veterans dinner' offer turned out to be not the offer itself so much but with what class Applebee's conducted this event.

First of all we were in there a couple of weeks ago and were surprised to see them decorating extensively for Veteran's Day. There were flags, red white and blue lights, and bunting everywhere so obviously it was a big deal for them. When we arrived, we were seated immediately and the service was exemplary. The dinner was delicious and I especially love the wonderful Weight Watchers friendly meals that they offer. Even if you're not doing Weight Watchers, it's a healthy alternative to most calorie and fat packed meals. Anyway, we had a wonderful meal which we appreciated very much given it was half price and we went home.

Since that evening, we've heard of several other restaurants that offered free meals for veterans and I think that is a wonderful thing. Even ex-servicemen from Mr. Right's era, when you didn't enter the service because you were brave and patriotic but because you were drafted and you didn't have a choice, were honored. I'm impressed that these restaurants recognize the value of the service regardless of why it was served; just that it WAS served and served honorably.

Hats off to Applebee's and every other restaurant that showed their appreciation for the men and women or once did or are now helping to keep our country free.