Do you have a military veteran in your family or among your friends? Saying “Thank you for your service” is nice but pretty bland. November is the month for writing stories. It’s National Life Writing Month, and Veteran’s Day is on the 11th. Honor your veteran by showing interest in their service. Ask about their time in the military, from boot camp to branch of service to what their job was. Where were they stationed? Did they serve during a war? If they were in a war or dangerous situations and don’t want to talk about it, simply ask around that, avoiding the traumatic part – where were you, what was your job, did you go anywhere interesting on leave or for R&R.

My dad told me his stories of boot camp, training, being stationed in Japan watching radar for Russian air attacks during the Cold War. His mom had saved all his letters to home and I asked questions. His stories are in his memoir that I put together for him, which also captured what Japan was like in the 1950s. William “Doc” Anderson felt honored that someone (me) cared about preserving his notes taken on the front lines and beyond as a medic in the Korean War. His incredible stories became his war memoir “Battlefield Doc” which honors all the fighting men on the ground during that war that never formally ended. In his elder years at the Veterans’ Home he seemed to find a renewed purpose in living, to get his book put together and published. He was so proud of that book.

Not many veterans will just volunteer to talk about their service time, partly because they think no one is interested. On my Resources page under Memoir Writing Articles is “Lifewriting Questions for Veterans,” to help you pull stories out. Remember to ask what they thought about their time/experiences in service. They have stories worth saving for family history, perhaps even beyond as their local or state history museum might be interested. Write the stories down so they won’t be forgotten. So your veteran’s honor won’t be forgotten or just be a mystery.