Free entry to national parks Wednesday

Veterans and military personnel honored with free meals, discounts.

By Teresa Mears Nov 6, 2009 1:21PM

Wednesday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day, when all Americans remember those who have served their country.

In our family, we remember my mother’s brother, who died in World War II, one nephew in Iraq and his brother who has just returned from Iraq. My father served in the Army, but he was lucky enough to serve in peacetime and have the job of booking entertainment for troops at Fort Knox, Ky. There he met my mother, who was a music teacher, and here I am.

Bing: Going to college on the GI Bill

In honor of Veterans Day, the National Park Service is offering free admission to all national parks for everyone on Wednesday. Other federal agencies also are offering free entry to public lands. The Park Service also has information on sites tied to the nation’s military history, and some parks plan special events.

Several stores and restaurants are offering special deals to veterans:

Past and present military personnel with proof of military service can get a free entrée from participating Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations on Wednesday.
Anyone who has served in the U.S. armed forces can get a free meal from Golden Corral from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16.
Veterans can get a free lunch or dinner entrée from a special menu at McCormick & Schmick’s 11th Annual Veterans Appreciation Event on Sunday, Nov. 8. Reservations are required.
Uno Chicago Grill is offering a free entrée or individual pizza Nov. 11 to veterans and active-duty personnel who show up in uniform, bring a photo of themselves in uniform or bring military ID.
Veterans and active military personnel can get one free doughnut Nov. 11 at participating Krispy Kreme stores.
Lowe's Companies is offering all active, reserve, honorably discharged, retired military personnel and their immediate family members a 10% discount on in-store purchases up to $5,000 Nov. 6-11. To qualify, individuals must present a valid military ID or other proof of service.
Home Depot is offering all active duty personnel, reservists, retired military, veterans and their families a 10% discount on purchases up to $2,000 Nov. 6-11.

Related reading:

Tags:

bargaindiningdiscountfoodfreehot dealssavingsTeresa Mears

< Back to Smart Spending

0Comments

DATA PROVIDERS

Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Morningstar Inc. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Morningstar Inc. Quotes delayed by up to 15 minutes, except where indicated otherwise. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by Morningstar Inc.

Feedback

ABOUT SMART SPENDING

Smart Spending brings you the best money-saving tips from MSN Money and the rest of the Web. Join the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Editor Bev O'Shea lives and works in the foothills of the Appalachians. A former copy editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Orlando Sentinel, she joined MSN Money in 2007. She's a fan of sunsets, college football and free shipping, among other things.

Having worked as a writer, reporter and editor for more than 25 years, Editor Julie Tilsner is the sort of person who can't help but correct grammar in Facebook postings and on billboards. She's written for BusinessWeek, the Los Angeles Times, Parenting, Redbook, AOL and others. She lives in Los Angeles County with her family and loves to drink wine and practice yoga, although not generally at the same time.

A writer for MSN Money since January 2007, Donna Freedman won regional and national prizes during an 18-year newspaper career and earned a college degree in midlife without taking out student loans. She also writes about smart money tactics for magazines and on her own site, Surviving and Thriving.

Mitch Lipka has been warning people about scams and shining light on questionable business practices for more than 20 years. Mitch, the consumer columnist for The Boston Globe, has also been a reporter and editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Consumer Reports, South Florida Sun-Sentinel and AOL. He won the 2010 New York Press Club award for best consumer reporting online and was honored in 2011 for his reporting on child product safety.

Marilyn Lewis is an award-winning writer with a passion for getting readers clear, straight information that helps them stay out of financial trouble. A former reporter for The San Jose Mercury News, she works from her home in Port Townsend, Wash. Contact her at MarilynLewis@Outlook.com.