Vehicles for Veterans Blog Pg. 12

Summer is the best time to get in your boat and enjoy the warm weather and all the beautiful bodies of water America has to offer. Taking the safety of these waters for granted is an easy mistake because of the practically unnoticed duties performed by the Coast Guard. June 23, 2017 is the 78th birthday of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. The Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts many duties such as: recreational boat inspections, teaching boating courses and assisting in search and rescue missions. You might not know much about these Auxiliarists, so read some of the history behind them today to celebrate their 78th birthday.

June 19 is Father’s Day—a holiday celebrating fathers, the strong bonds with their children, and the positive impact fathers have on the world. Whether you visit your father and play a round of golf, or send him a card in the mail, it is important to acknowledge the influence and responsibility that fathers have. To be inspired by how heroic fathers and their children can be, read the stories of a couple famous American military father-son duos. 

Throughout the year, there are plenty of occasions to fly the flag. Whether you fly the American flag every day or just take it out on patriotic holidays, Flag Day is the perfect time to refresh your memory and learn a few interesting things about the flag.

Despite political differences, conflicting viewpoints and disagreements, the one thing that connects everyone is blood. Every two seconds, someone needs a blood transfusion in the U.S. Accidents, surgeries, lifelong medical conditions and cancer treatments can all cause a person to need blood. Most people recognize the need for blood donations, but it's also easy to forget how important they are. June 14 is World Blood Donor Day, and it's the perfect time to learn more about the need for blood donations and how you can make a difference! 

June is known as LGBT Pride Month in the military. The first military pride month was June of 2011. Over the years, if you were LGBT serving in the military, it was difficult. You were told to hide your sexual preference. Slowly over the years LGBT military members are being recognized, and able to be open about their sexual preferences without getting discharged.

June is Men’s Health Month—a time to raise awareness of preventable health problems and to encourage regular medical treatment to detect health problems early for men. Since its inception, Men’s Health Month has received overwhelming support through awareness activities and methods of education. You can help raise awareness by participating in Wear Blue Friday on June 17. Regular medical checkups are important for maintaining good health for men. When you aren’t at a checkup, you can apply these measures inspired by the Marine Corps to your life to stay healthy.  

On Memorial Day, most of us enjoy a day off work and celebrate the unofficial start of summer by boating, having barbeques or shopping the Memorial Day sales. Being with loved ones is a meaningful way to spend the day, but it's also important to remember fallen soldiers and veterans on Memorial Day. Whether you take time for a moment of silence or spend the whole day reflecting, Memorial Day reminds us that freedom comes at a cost. Here are five ways to get back to the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Before 1950, each branch of the military was celebrated on its own day. Now we celebrate the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Reserves on the third Saturday in May. Armed Forces Day is a great time to help veterans in your community and say thank you. Whether you shake a veteran's hand and thank them for their service or you donate to a veteran's organization today, there are many ways to show your support. 

June 6, 1944, around 160,000 soldiers invaded beaches of Normandy, France to end the war with Nazi Germany. Dwight D. Eisenhower was determined to get a victory, and by the end of the day they had a firm grip in continental Europe. This invasion was the largest seaborne invasion in history, it took many months of planning. The U.S. met with allies months prior to D-Day to strategically plan a large scale deception campaign. The Normandy landing has been known as the beginning of the end to World War II. 

If someone were to ask you, what do you know about Maritime Day? Would you be able to answer the question? Most people probably don’t know much about this day in less you live by a large body of open water. This day is celebrated in a lot of different ways, however, most are at sea ports and at merchant marine memorials. The ports have open houses and luncheons. Many of the Merchant Marine memorials have special services to honor the fallen.