Eight Awesome Links for You this Veteran's Day

Happy Veteran's Day! 

I wanted to give you a little sampling of some of the great stuff I've been reading and watching about our service members lately. 

Want to see some amazing photography of US Marines in action? 

These pictures really had me floored. Not just as a photographer and as a military spouse, but as an American. I look through them and I can't even imagine the experiences represented. 

Here are four things civilians should know about Veterans 

Respect requires knowledge. I was most struck by the concept that the average American youth doesn't know where Iraq and Afghanistan are on a map. 

What does the Starbuck's CEO have to say about Veterans? 

This is a short video introducing Howard Schultz and Rajiv Chandrasekaran's book about trying to change the disconnect between post 9/11 Veterans and civilian society.

Here's an adorable video to help your kids understand Veteran's Day

Apparently Michelle Obama enlisted the help of the Penguins of Madagascar to spread the word about "Operation Got Your 6." It's quite funny and we watched it a few times today. 

This is a touching story of a woman helping Veterans heal at their own pace

Melony Butler founded this retreat where Vets can recover, connect, and move on in a safe and non-threatening environment. The stories of these men and how this place is helping them brought tears to my eyes. 

Great infographic on the declining tradition of Veteran entrepreneurship

Did you know that there is a huge decline in Vets who own and operate their own businesses after returning to civilian life? This is a great presentation about it. 

Speaking of entrepreneurship, here's one woman's tale of transition

From active duty Air Force, to Mommy, to Business Owner.  I love her story, and her encouragement to familiarize yourself with the local Veteran-owned businesses near you. There's even a link to help hunt them down! 

And finally, a love letter to Veterans from Military Families

For those of us who see Veterans from the beginning to the end of their career, these words could be ours. We see it all and we stand by (and pack and move and adjust and pray and wait and hope) through it all. And we love you and thank you for every day of that service. We see what it costs you. We don't know how you do it, and we are so proud of you! 

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go enjoy some movie time and snuggles with my favorite Veteran ;o)