Veterans Day: How restaurants are saying 'thank you'
Veterans Day: Restaurants around the US are offering free meals and discounts to past and present members of the US military. Here's what vets in West Lebanon, N.H., said about the holiday.
Spectators wait with flags and cameras along Fifth Avenue during Veterans Day parade, Tuesday Nov. 11, 2014 in New York.
(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
West Lebanon, N.H.
Outside Applebee鈥檚 on North Plainfield Road, men and women wearing embroidered hats waited with family and friends for a table on Tuesday afternoon.
鈥�U.S. Navy Veteran,鈥� read one.
鈥淯.厂.厂. Puget Sound.鈥� Gold thread, stitched on black.
鈥淎rmy Wife.鈥�
Like dozens of other national chains on Veterans Day, the family-style restaurant is rolling out the red carpet for those who have served.
Many restaurants have free or discounted meal options for veterans and active military members today. Others offer discounts throughout the week.
At Applebee鈥檚, veterans can eat from , provided they show proper identification or a photo of themselves in a uniform.听IHOP is serving red, white, and blue pancakes until 7 p.m. today. For a free doughnut and coffee, head to . Chili鈥檚 is giving to anyone who has served in the US military.听
About a half mile away, at the Chili鈥檚 on North Main Street, hostess Brenna Banley-Bill says she had seen about 100 veterans come in for the offer by 1:20 p.m. They鈥檒l normally come with friends who had served, or with family, she says.
To greet the crowd outside the West Lebanon Applebee鈥檚, a group of three men stood below a black tent. On a table under the tent, American flags weighed down fliers. A stack of pamphlets gave information on the GI Bill.
The men had been outside since 8 a.m. and were planning on remaining outside the restaurant until 4 p.m. Fifth district commander Larry Greene, a member of the American Legion Department of Vermont, said he had stood outside the establishment on four previous Veterans Day holidays.
Each year, David Churchill says, Veterans Day is 鈥渢ouching.鈥�
鈥淲e say thank you to them. They don鈥檛 get it enough,鈥� he says. He pauses. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 get it enough.
Churchill is a former commander and service officer. Today he wears a black jacket adorned with a badge with the name and photo of Jeffrey S. Holmes.听 on Thanksgiving Day in 2004. He was 20.听
鈥淎ll of us have served, and if we could do it again, we鈥檇 do it again. We鈥檇 all leave right now if need be,鈥� he says, patting his heart as more Applebee鈥檚 customers walked by. 鈥淚 know I would.鈥�
聽Churchill notes that everybody 鈥渃omes together鈥� on Veterans Day.
Other national restaurants have similar offers 鈥� Hotcakes at Bob Evans, frozen yoghurt at Menchie鈥檚, an All-American Burger and fries at Cheeseburger in Paradise.
that 29 restaurants and 13 retailers are thanking veterans for their service with discounts and giveaways. 聽Brad's Deals also offers an exhaustive list. Different businesses have various identification requirements.