Updated September 2026 · 2 min read
Honoring American troops means more than a bumper sticker. Here are practical, meaningful ways to thank service members, support veterans and stand with military families — from a ten-minute letter to a lifetime of volunteering.
Call the Veterans Crisis Line — Dial 988 then press 1, Text 838255, or chat at VeteransCrisisLine.net. It is free, confidential and available 24/7.
Everyday ways to say thank you
- Write a letter. Handwritten notes still matter to deployed troops, recruits and hospitalized veterans. Organizations such as Operation Gratitude and Soldiers’ Angels deliver them.
- Send a care package. Snacks, hygiene items and notes from home are welcome — follow the sending organization’s current list of approved items.
- Learn a name. Read the story of a fallen hero from your state and share it. Remembering a name keeps a legacy alive.
- Visit a grave. Many Medal of Honor recipients rest in local cemeteries. Use our cemetery directory and state pages to find one near you.
- Hire a veteran or buy from a veteran-owned business.
- Support military families in your neighborhood — a meal, a ride or babysitting during a deployment can mean a great deal.
Organizations doing the work
These well-established organizations support troops, veterans and their families. We have no affiliation with any of them; check any charity with a service such as Charity Navigator before donating.
USO
Centers at airports and bases worldwide, entertainment tours and programs that keep service members connected to family.
Fisher House Foundation
Free “home away from home” lodging so families can stay close to a loved one receiving care at a military or VA medical center.
Operation Gratitude
Care packages and handwritten letters for deployed troops, veterans, new recruits and first responders.
Soldiers’ Angels
Volunteers who write to deployed service members, support hospitalized veterans and help military families.
Honor Flight Network
Free trips that bring veterans to Washington, D.C. to see the memorials built in their honor.
Wreaths Across America
Each December volunteers place remembrance wreaths on veterans’ graves at Arlington and thousands of other cemeteries.
TAPS — Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
Around-the-clock grief support, peer mentors and programs for families of fallen service members.
Folds of Honor
Educational scholarships for spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
Operation Homefront
Emergency financial help, transitional housing and recognition programs for military families.
Gary Sinise Foundation
Specially adapted smart homes for severely wounded veterans and support for first responders.
Team Rubicon
Puts veterans’ skills to work as disaster-response volunteers — and gives civilians a way to serve alongside them.
National Medal of Honor Museum
A museum in Arlington, Texas, dedicated to the stories of Medal of Honor recipients and the values the medal represents.
Congressional Medal of Honor Society
The organization of living recipients, founded in 1958; runs character-development programs for schools.
Veterans Legacy Memorial (VA)
An online memorial page for every veteran buried in a VA national cemetery — anyone can leave a tribute.
Honoring the fallen
- Memorial Day: pause at 3 p.m. local time for the National Moment of Remembrance.
- Wreaths Across America: volunteer to lay wreaths on veterans’ graves each December.
- Veterans Legacy Memorial: leave a tribute on the online memorial page of a veteran buried in a VA cemetery.
- Gold Star families: the last Sunday in September honors families who lost a loved one in service; TAPS offers ways to support them year-round.
Supporting veterans
- Volunteer with an Honor Flight hub to escort veterans to their memorials in Washington, D.C.
- Volunteer at a VA medical center through VA Voluntary Service.
- Record a veteran’s story for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
Days to remember
See the military observances calendar for Medal of Honor Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day and every service birthday.