Attend Veterans Day Events

The Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building hosts its annual tribute November 14, 2025, sponsored by the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs. The event, which in past years has included patriotic music and a barbecue lunch, is free for veterans.

The City of Sonoma holds a Memorial Day event at Sonoma Valley Veterans Memorial Park, which is also a good place for reflection on Veterans Day. The adjacent cemetery is the final resting place for many veterans.

Check for parades and other local tributes posted online.

Offer Time and Assistance to Veterans

Visit a VA hospital: Volunteer to help with various services, such as visiting patients, running errands, or assisting with activities.

Participate in a National Day of Service: Volunteer to clean headstones and beautify a national cemetery. 

Provide practical help: Offer to assist a veteran in your neighborhood with household tasks like yard work or home repairs. Military families whose loved ones are deployed or recently returned may also appreciate help with babysitting or delivering a meal.

Listen to a veteran's story: Take the time to talk with a veteran and listen to their experiences. You can even help record their story for the Library of Congress's Veterans History Project. 

Support Veterans and Military Families

Support veteran-owned businesses: Look for and patronize businesses in your community that are owned by veterans. Google Maps often indicates a "Veteran-Led" or "Veteran-Owned" status on business profiles.

Donate to a veterans' charity: Contribute to organizations that provide essential services to veterans, such as the Wounded Warrior Project or the USO.

Send a care package: Assemble care packages with items like toiletries, snacks, and books to send to deployed service members or hospitalized veterans.

Write a letter: Send a heartfelt letter or card to a veteran you know, or write one to a service member through a program like Soldiers' Angels. 

Observe National Traditions

Fly the American flag: Display the U.S. flag correctly outside your home or business to show respect for those who have served.

Observe a moment of silence: At 11:11 a.m., pause for a moment of quiet reflection to honor veterans. The number 11:11 marks the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" (11 a.m. on November 11, 1918), when an armistice went into effect, ending hostilities in World War I. This time and date, originally commemorated as Armistice Day, became the basis for Veterans Day, which continues to be observed on November 11 to honor veterans of all U.S. wars. 

Remember the purpose of the day: Take the time to understand the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Veterans Day honors all who have served, while Memorial Day is a time to remember those who died in service.