Veteran's Day Bananas

With Veteran's day just around the corner, as a military wife and a niece and grand daughter of amazing veterans, I cannot verbally express the pride I have in those who are serving and have served our country.  When I was younger, this day was all about no school, and while we all knew what it meant, it wasn't until we got a little bit older that we truly began to appreciate it's sentiment.  I wish that I could say the same for some of my fellow military wives, who haven't seemed to grasp the concept of what this day is truly about.
Veteran's Day comes with many things. People having big sales, people being grateful for those who have fought for our country, and especially grateful for those whom have paid the ultimate price.  Unfortunately, what also comes with Veteran's Day are those military wives and dependents who crawl out of their holes with their self-righteous, entitled attitudes asking for handouts.  It is well known that many restaurant chains offer a free meal to Veterans on this day.  It is less well known that most of these chains only have a certain number of free meals to offer.
As military spouses, or dependents, we are considered civilians... NOT military. We have never taken an oath, or signed a contract agreeing to fight for our country. We have never been to war. We have never left all that we've known for months and months at a time to deploy to a foreign country where there is nothing we know but the boots on our feet, the uniforms on our backs, and the brothers and sisters at our sides. WE are NOT entitled.
Maybe this is just my personal pet peeve... but it seems I'm seeing more and more who feel the same way as I do. I will break it down in simple terms... it is rude, disrespectful, and inappropriate to walk into a restaurant or other establishment that is offering a free deal on Veteran's day and show your dependent ID card expecting a hand out. It is not rude to walk into said establishment, dine with your husband, allow him to claim his free meal, but decline any offer, asking that it please be offered to another Veteran who has served. As I mentioned before, so many places only offer a certain amount of free meals, and in my eyes - those who have fought for our country deserve it an insurmountable amount more than I do.
If you are a wife, husband, or dependent of the military who plans to take advantage of the Veteran's Day freebies tomorrow, have at it. I just ask that you maybe take notice to the Veteran's... the TRUE heroes standing at the door when you leave. Those who maybe were one or two people too late and will not receive a free meal. Those who endured hellish conditions, injuries, and lost friends fighting for our freedom, but whom you feel are less entitled to a free entree than yourself. Maybe seeing it in this light will make you realize, that the ten or twenty bucks you might save may not be worth it in the end.  If not, then I'm sorry that you're unable to give up a free meal to someone who has given up so much more than that.

We may very well be the "silent ranks" as so many people say, but we do not serve. We support. We support our husbands and wives, we support the cause, we support the close friends we watch board those planes with our loved one, we support our fellow wives standing beside us, we SUPPORT our troops. Show your support this Veteran's Day.

Thank you to all those who have served, are serving, and will serve in the future. Our country would not be what it is without you, and in my eyes, you should eat free everyday.