Thank a Veteran Cards – Free Printable

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Saying thank you to a veteran can feel harder than it should. You want the words to land, but they do not always come out right in the moment. These free printable Thank a Veteran Cards give you something you can have ready to hand over, whether it’s for Veteran’s Day, a family gathering, or a chance meeting with someone who served. Download the printable, print the cards at home and you have a heartfelt way to say what matters most: thank you for your service.

Cards are an easy way to share your appreciation without getting choked up. And they’re a meaningful activity for families and children, too.

Many people have asked me how to express military appreciation for service members, their families and for veterans. I’m a veteran and have 10 family members in two generations that are veterans. Their service span from the Vietnam war in the 1960’s until now. I know what it’s like thank a member of the military and to be thanked myself.

Many veterans have never been thanked. Can you believe it? I know because I’m the daughter of a Vietnam vet that was not thanked. Also, I’ve participated in Honor Flight greetings and had veterans tell me that it was the first time anyone had ever thanked them for their service.

Thanking people in person can be difficult. I used to get choked up a bit, stumble over my words and have a hard time thanking the veterans I interacted with. This is a case of practice makes it easier.

Don’t let hesitation or not knowing what to say get in the way of thanking a veteran. We can all get better about taking the time to look a veteran in they eye, shake their hand and say, “Thank you for serving.” It’s that simple and it’s the least we can do to honor their service to our country.

If you’d prefer to use Veterans Day cards to express your appreciation, you can use these printable cards to thank every veteran you know (and look for ones you don’t know yet). Giving a card with a personal note is a meaningful way to recognize a veteran.

What to Say in A Thank You Note to a Veteran

• Keep it simple and authentic
• Many veterans deal with conflicting emotions about their service and being thanked. “Thank you for your service” is always enough.
• Try not to gush about heroism or heroic acts. This can be a complicated subject for many veterans.
• A few sentences saying thank you, that you appreciate them, and that you remember them are sufficient.
• You can include thanking military families for their service when you thank veterans.
• For more card writing tips see, Thank You Veteran Card Writing Tips

Ideas for Using Thank a Veteran Cards

• Give to a family member and veterans you know.
• Carry the cards with you and hand them out to veterans you see during your day.
• Mail them to veteran in nursing homes.
• Mail them to your local VA hospital.
• Mail them to your local VFW or American Legion.
• Contact your local police or fire department and ask how many veterans they have. Many veterans go on to serve their communities in law enforcement or with the fire department.
• Attach them to small gifts to drop off at any of the places above.
• Drop off a stack for the veterans who volunteer to assemble military care packages.

More Ideas to Create Veterans Day Greeting Cards

• Print these cards out and attach one to a full 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. Fold it in half to make a traditional foldable card.
• Create your own cards in Word, PowerPoint, or online graphics program. You can use:
  • Old photos of the service member in uniform
  • Stock photos of veterans images, the American flag or other patriotic scenes
  • Stock graphics
  • Text expressing military appreciation
• Have children draw pictures. These are always a hit with veterans because they’re such a pure expression of gratitude.

Please take the time to thank at least one veteran this week.  Use these Thank a Veteran Cards, the additional card ideas, make your own cards, or simply say thank you. Please, do it. 

Frequently Asked Questions

More Thank a Veteran, Military Member and Military Family Ideas

Thank You Veteran Card Writing Tips – Tips for writing thank you veteran cards and where to send the cards. Grab your free copy of writing tips that work perfectly for deployed troops, military care packages, and Armed Forces Day, too.

Thank Our Veterans Free Printable – Make an easy gift envelope with this free printable to thank our veterans for Veterans Day or anytime. Use this free printable for a Random Act of Kindness.

Ideas for What to Donate to a Veterans Hospital.

Cards to Support Our Troops – Use this free printable to create cards to support our troops. Also, create cards to share with deployed troops to send to their families.

Free printable cards to Help a Military Family.

A printable card to thank a veteran from my friend, Holly at Pink Fortitude.

Check out my favorite patriotic crafts, printables and recipes in the table below. You can scroll though the table and look for ideas or search for specific ideas with the magnifying glass in the upper right-hand corner (on desktop). Click on the topic and then click through the specific article.