Veterans Can Get Free Lifetime National Parks Admission

We just celebrated Veteran's Day this week, but did we celebrate it enough? Veterans are among a very underappreciated group of people in America. I was at the store behind a veteran of World War 2 yesterday. He had on his 'Navy Veteran' hat with information about his service and the three ships on which he had been a crew member. I knew it was a long shot, but I asked him if he knew my grandpa who served in the Navy at the same time but on a different ship. He didn't recognize the name and that was the end of our conversation. I should have thanked him for his service or asked him about his service, but I didn't. Even on the day we celebrate our military veterans, I feel I didn't do even the simplest of gestures.

Many businesses open their doors to our military heroes on Veteran's Day each year with free food and services, which is very awesome. Sometimes though it seems like that should be more frequent than once a year.

There is something that all veterans can get for free and that will last them the rest of their lifetime: free entrance to all the National Parks. NPR reported about the news this week, which also includes free lifetime passes for Gold Star Families who lost a family member in a terrorist attack or military operation outside the United States. The passes, traditionally called America The Beautiful, usually cost $80 per year but will be free to those who qualify. Get details on the free military park passes on the National Parks website.