Remembering our veterans and thanking them for their service is something we should do every day, not just on Veterans Day. But Veterans Day give us the opportunity to reach out to the veterans we know. I am reminded of the World War II stories my dad would tell me when I was younger. Dad joined the Navy at the age of 18 in November 1942, and served from July 1943 to January 1946. He was in the US Navy, stationed on the USS Philadelphia in the Atlantic. This was one of two ships that supplied firepower to cover Allied landings at Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, and the south of France.

One harrowing story I remember had to do with a stormy night when he was on deck. The winds were whipping and the sea was in turmoil. Luckily my dad saw a huge wave coming over the side of the ship before it hit the deck. He had the chance to grab a cable and hang on for dear life. He was literally sideways as the wind and water tried to pull him away! But luckily for us, he hung on tight and has had another seven decades with us.

Most of us knows a veteran. It might be a family member, relative, friend or neighbor. If you know one who was involved with World War II or another foreign conflict, here are 3 things you can do to capture their stories while they are alive:

• Listen. Some vets love to tell stories from their time in the military. Others do not. If they are willing to talk about their time in the service, listen to and document their stories. You may need to ask a few leading questions. Where did you serve? What were the conditions like? What do you remember most about your time there?
• Jog their memory. There may be some vets who want to talk about their time in the service, but their memory isn’t what it used to be. If that happens, take out any memorabilia they may have from that time. Those items may bring back memories that they forgot. Then listen and document.
• Create something lasting. Take these stories and create a short book of them that you can give to other family members or close friends. If you captured the stories on a cell phone or video camera, you could combine them and create a nice video compilation. Even if other relatives have heard these stories over the years, it would be nice for them to have this memento they can go back to after your loved one passes away.

Our country continues to be a free because of these veterans’ dedication to this land.

Especially on this Veterans Day, make sure you thank every veteran you come across for their service and remember those vets who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

At Naperville Senior Center, we are honored to have several veterans in our midst. We thank them all for their service! Our country is free because of the brave. We love to hear the stories they tell, whether it is Veterans Day or any day of the year!

If they are not telling stories, our Members have plenty of opportunity to socialize, colorize, harmonize, hypothesize, verbalize, improvise, evangelize, exercise, have fun, and plenty of activities providing mental and physical stimulation.

Call to action: contact us to schedule a FREE 3-hour trial at our facility so you can see what we have to offer and understand the Naperville Senior Center experience. It’s like “Home Away From Home,” but with a nurse and therapists in your living room.