Why I Go on a Quest for Freebies on Veterans Day

On November 11, I go a little fast-food crazy.

Last year, I started with a delicious sandwich at Subway, then moved on down the street, stopping for tasty snacks at Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s and Panera Bread, finishing up with dessert at Dairy Queen. Along the way, I grabbed a latte at Starbucks and got a haircut at Great Clips.

I didn’t eat all those goodies — most of them went home to my family. In fact, I wasn’t even very hungry that afternoon. But I relentlessly pursued this stuff for a simple reason: It was all free.

I spent more than five years on active duty in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. On November 11, Veterans Day, restaurants, coffee shops, hair salons and other businesses offer free goods and services to veterans like me. Every fall, the Veterans Administration thoughtfully sends me a long email listing all the establishments where I can get something for nothing on that day. And I lap it up.

There are other veteran perks. About a decade ago, the state of Colorado issued me an auto license plate that reads “Honorably Discharged Veteran.” I thought it was funny because it seems like such a low bar; well over 80 percent of all military personnel get an honorable discharge. But that license has innate value. Since it’s been on my cars, I’ve never gotten a ticket. One evening, I was pulled over for having a burned-out headlight; the officer suggested, politely, that I get it fixed, then said, “Thank you for your service.”

I’m still snowboarding (gently) at my advanced age; there, too, it pays to be an older veteran. Many ski resorts now sell a day pass — normally priced from $100 to $250 — to us ancient skiers for $20 or so. Some areas give an even bigger break to veterans. In the summer, when I’m not on the slopes, the Colorado Rockies sell senior citizen bleacher seats at Coors Field for $1; that’s the ticket I buy.

I can afford to pay full price for a Big Mac or a baseball ticket. So why does it matter to me to get a few bucks off?

One reason I appreciate the veterans’ benefits is because the national attitude is so different now than when I was in the Navy. During the unpopular Vietnam War, many people deemed it stupid, or immoral, to serve in the military. Young men who crossed into Canada to duck the draft were considered clever. A leading journalist wrote a widely noted column about his ingenious ploy to lose enough weight to get a 4-F rating in the draft so that he wouldn’t have to serve. One morning. when I was walking to my duty station in Arlington, Virginia, in my uniform, a driver rolled down his window and shouted at me: “Murderer!”

Today, people and businesses go out of their way to thank us veterans for serving. This helps explain why I go for all that swag. There’s a certain satisfaction just in the recognition. While I’m munching on my free lunch, I say to myself, Yeah, I deserve this. It makes the burger taste even better.

AARP essays share a point of view in the author’s voice, drawn from expertise or experience, and do not necessarily reflect the views of AARP.