This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of DAV. All opinions are 100% mine.

Veterans Day is just around the corner on November 11th. While we should appreciate our nation’s vets every day, I feel it’s important to really show them how much they mean on this special day. They’ve more than earned it. Veterans Day is meaningful to me because I come from a huge military family. My grandfather served in the US Navy at the tail end of WWII. My grandmother’s younger brother served in Korea. My aunt’s husband (who to me is simply my uncle, and one of the best ever at that!) was a sailor for 20 years before retiring about a decade ago. Their three sons all served.

The video above, though, is for my son’s father. My ex-husband, Rich. We’re not together anymore, but he’s still one of my dearest friends. Rich served in the Navy from 1995-2001. We met when he was in A-school, and he became one of my best friends. When my first marriage (also to a sailor) didn’t work out, we started dating. I went to visit him while he was stationed in Misawa Japan. I ended up staying, and we were married in the base legal office. Thanks to Rich, I got to live in Japan for two years, an experience that I will never forget.

During that time away from home, I learned so much about family. In the military, family isn’t just the people with whom you share DNA or a marriage license. They’re the people who come together to help you replace a lost car after yours goes up in flames (scariest experience ever). The people who pick you up in the middle of the night, no questions asked. The people you grocery shop with every 1st and 15th! Clip coupons with you on the floor for hours. They’re the people that you take care of after a hernia surgery, even if they did milk it a bit! They’re people that you may not see for years, but you would still open your door to if they showed up unexpectedly. They’re people you come to love as if you’ve known them forever.

Create a Meaningful Video Tribute to Your Vet

Create a DAV Thank a Vet Video in Minutes for a Touching Tribute that Lasts a Lifetime #ThankAVet

My son Jacob helped make this video to honor his father’s service in the Navy. Rich left the Navy long before Jacob was born, so Jake never really knew that side of him. I thought making the video together would give him a better understanding of what it means when we talk about how his dad is a veteran.

Even though the video took just minutes to make, it still gave Jake a chance to ask questions. He had to really think about what he wanted to say in regards to thanking his dad for his service. He did want to add more, but I had to ask him to simplify it for the character limit. Jacob thought about his freedoms and how people like his father gave up so many things to make sure those freedoms remain protected.  Some gave up time away from their family, some gave up so much more.

DAV (Disabled American Veterans), makes it easy to thank vets with their Thank a Vet tool. In literally minutes, you can create your own touching tribute to your veteran. You don’t need any tech skills beyond the ability to upload a picture and type a few words. If you don’t have a picture, you can even select one or more from the DAV gallery. When you’re done adding your personal touches, just select the background music and other creative elements, then hit “create.” Your personal video gets delivered to your inbox for easy sharing. Make your video now with the DAV’s Thank A Vet tool.

Who is DAV and Why Are They Doing This?

DAV is a nonprofit organization that supports veterans of all generations throughout their entire lifetime. They support more than 1 million vets every year in positive ways by helping them get access to the benefits they’ve already earned. They help veterans navigate things like healthcare and disability (which I know from experience can be very complicated) as well as connect them to job opportunities. They work one-on-one with so many of our nation’s veterans. Thank a Vet video service is their way of helping all of us create a personal and meaningful way to show our gratitude.

Learn more about DAV and how they help our veterans, or how they can help YOUR veteran! Take a moment to watch other Thank A Vet videos. I’m planning on making more, for my uncle and my cousins! They all deserve a Thank You for their service.

Who would you thank with the DAV Thank a Vet tool? Make a video of your own, share it on social media using #ThankAVet, and tell me about it in the comments so I can check it out! 
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