Since my husband, Kim, is a Vietnam veteran, I probably pay a little more attention to the restaurants celebrating Veteran’s Day, which seems to be growing each year. (An update to this post: While driving through Bountiful, I saw that Pizza Pie Cafe on 500 South is also offering a free meal to veterans).
The Salt Lake Tribune published this list of 15 different restaurants offering a meal, discount or other free food in honor of Veteran’s Day, although some of the offers take place on dates other than tomorrow, Nov. 11.
For instance, Golden Corral is offering a free meal and drink on Nov. 17. Tucanos Brazilian has a Veteran Card, good for a 25 percent discount on four meals during the next year.
In Nov. 2011, my daughter and I took Kim to the Bountiful Applebee’s for Veteran’s Day. I wrote about that experience here, with advice about timing your visit to avoid the crowds
It seemed to us that the appeal wasn’t necessarily the free meal, but the icamaraderie of seeing other veterans, asking them where they served and so on. My husband especially was touched when people thanked him for his service. When he returned from Vietnam, he came home home to a lot of hostility. It was a hard time for young soldiers who risked their lives for a war they didn’t start, or necessarily agree with.
I also wrote in that post that that next year we wanted to get out to Tooele to take my dad, Jay Sagers, for a Veteran’s Day meal at Applebee’s, since he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Sadly, my dad passed away in Oct. 2012, so we were never able to make that lunch. Of course, you can take people out to lunch anytime.
So don’t wait until those good intentions become regrets.
