The provided source material for 2017 outlines a range of freebies, discounts, and special offers available to U.S. military veterans, active duty personnel, and their families. These promotions are typically tied to specific holidays like Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Armed Forces Day, and are offered by businesses across the restaurant, retail, travel, and service industries. The information, compiled from promotional lists, indicates that offers vary significantly by brand, location, and date, and often require valid proof of military service, such as a military ID. The following article details the types of offers available, eligibility requirements, and how to access them, based exclusively on the provided 2017 documentation.
Restaurant and Dining Freebies
A significant portion of the documented offers for veterans in 2017 came from restaurant chains, providing complimentary meals or significant discounts on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017. These promotions were designed to honor service members with a free meal or discounted dining experience.
Bob Evans offered veterans and active duty military personnel a choice of one of six free meals on November 11, 2017, at all Bob Evans restaurants. The selection included breakfast items available all day, such as a stack of hotcakes (Buttermilk or Multigrain), fresh baked brioche French toast, country biscuit breakfast, and mini sampler breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner items like the farm boy sandwich and country fried steak dinner.
LongHorn Steakhouse invited veterans to enjoy a complimentary appetizer or dessert on Veterans Day. Additionally, guests dining with a veteran received a 10 percent discount on their meal. This offer was available in-restaurant on November 11, 2016 (as noted in the source, though the context suggests a 2017 focus).
Max & Erma’s provided a complimentary meal on Friday, November 11, 2017, to veterans and active military members. The meal included a 1/2 lb. cheeseburger, endless seasoned fries, and a fountain drink.
McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurants thanked U.S. military veterans and Gold Star family members by offering a complimentary lunch or dinner on Sunday, November 6, 2017, at all 56 locations. Reservations were recommended for this offer.
Rock and Brews offered a free pulled pork sandwich and side on Veterans Day to all active duty military and veterans with ID at participating locations.
Fazoli’s provided free spaghetti with meat sauce or marinara for veterans and active military with a coupon and valid ID or while in uniform on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, at participating locations. No purchase was necessary.
Zoës Kitchen offered a free entree nationwide to anyone who has served or is serving on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, with ID. This offer was listed as "Waiting 2017 Verification" in the source.
99 Restaurant and Pub invited all active duty military and veterans with ID to be guests and enjoy a free meal from the 9 Real Size Entrées for 9.99 Menu with the purchase of an entrée during lunch from 11 am – 4 pm on November 11, 2017. This offer could not be combined with the 10% discount or other offers and did not include beverages, tax, or gratuity.
Tucanos Brazilian Grill had a multi-part offer for Veterans Day 2017. From November 9-11, 2017, all ten locations offered active duty, reserve, and retired military veterans a complimentary churrasco meal with the purchase of another adult churrasco meal. Veterans dining alone received a 50% discount off their meal. Additionally, guests were encouraged to post a selfie taken at Tucanos to receive a Free Dessert Certificate for a next visit. A separate entry noted a Tucanos Hampton Roads location celebrating Military Appreciation Month all through May with a 20% discount on their Tucanos’ Churrasco Meal.
Abuelo’s Mexican Grill had a donation-based and discount offer. They donated $1 to Homes for Our Troops for each Chile con Queso appetizer sold from Thursday, November 9 through Sunday, November 12, 2017. Additionally, Virginia restaurants offered veterans and active duty military a 20% discount on their entire check all day on Saturday, November 11, 2017. A valid Military ID was required, and the discount applied to food purchases only.
Mission BBQ held Military Appreciation Days with free sandwiches for all active duty members and veterans on specific service branch days: Army Day (5/15), Marine Corps Day (5/16), Navy Day (5/17), Air Force Day (5/18), and Coast Guard Day (5/19). On Armed Forces Day (5/20), they offered a free sandwich lunch with heroes from 11 am – 2 pm, encouraging arrival before noon for the live national anthem.
Texas de Brazil offered a nationwide Military Appreciation on Memorial Day with a 50% military discount for active military and veterans and up to 4 guests. They also offered a 20% military discount off takeout that day for all.
The Greene Turtle (at participating locations) honored the military community with a 15% military discount on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 20, 2017, with a military ID. Most locations participated, but verification was advised.
Retail and Service Discounts
Beyond dining, numerous retail and service providers offered discounts to military members, often year-round or during specific appreciation periods.
Lowe’s had a military discount program that used a MyLowes card for quick identification. It was available in U.S. stores and on Lowes.com, with easy online enrollment. The discount was effective immediately for eligible military members.
Home Depot offered a 10% discount to all military veterans on Memorial Day, up to a maximum of $500. A year-round 10% discount was available at all U.S. locations to active duty personnel, reservists, retired or disabled veterans and their immediate families. A valid military ID was required. The source noted that Home Depot did not accept state ID cards with veterans designation (though some locations might) and had removed the military discount policy from their website while keeping the discount intact.
Allied Shirts had a Military Appreciation Program offering free shirts to military friends and families.
Peninsula Hardwood Mulch offered a 10% discount during Military Appreciation Month (May 1-31, 2017), an increase from their everyday 5% military discount, valid for pick-up or delivered materials.
Beach Ford and Barton Ford stated that every day is Military Appreciation Day. In honor of the military, they, along with Ford Motor Company, offered a total of $1,000 off any new vehicle, with the offer ending on December 31, 2017.
Southern Shores Realty and Elan Vacations offered military discounts on vacation home rentals in The Outer Banks. Southern Shores Realty provided a 5% military discount, and Elan Vacations offered a 5% military discount on vacation home rentals.
Dell Military had a special sale during Military Appreciation Month, kicking off on May 29, 2017. The Memorial Day Sale included Door Busters starting at 11 am and 3 pm EST.
Travel and Entertainment Offers
Several travel and entertainment venues provided free admission or discounted rates for military members and their families.
California’s Great America offered a discount to all current or past military members with a government-issued ID. To take advantage, individuals presented a valid military ID at any ticket window. The discount was part of an everyday military discount program.
Carowinds (North Carolina) held Military Days on May 28-29 and July 3-5, 2017, offering free park admission to any active, inactive, or retired United States Service member with a valid military ID.
Knott’s Berry Farm and Soak City Waterpark (California) paid tribute to U.S. veterans, retired, and current military personnel with one free park admission during Memorial Day Weekend, May 27–29, 2017. This offer was valid for all past and present armed forces personnel, with one complimentary admission provided per military person. Eligible individuals had to be present. Up to six additional Knott’s Berry Farm tickets could be purchased at a military discounted rate of $48.00 for Regular Admission and $45.00 for Junior (ages 3-11) and Senior (62+). Up to six additional Soak City Waterpark tickets could be purchased at a military discounted rate of $37 for Regular, Junior (ages 3-11), and Senior (62+). Valid proof of military service with photo ID was required.
Mystic Aquarium family members with a U.S. Military ID received a discounted admission rate. Additionally, shoppers at the gift store received 10% off by showing a Military ID.
Minnesota Zoo held a Military Appreciation event from July 1-9, 2017, where military personnel received free admission and free parking. Family members received half-price admission.
Armed Forces Vacation Club is a free membership club open to active duty, guard, reserve, and retired members of the Armed Forces as well as civilian employees of the DoD. For a limited time in 2017, the club offered select 7-night resort stays for $299, with destinations including Orlando, the Poconos, Las Vegas, and more. The sale ended on May 18, 2017.
Giveaways and Sweepstakes
The source also included entries for giveaways specifically tied to military appreciation.
Samuels Jewelers, in honor of Veterans Day, honored the military community with two giveaways plus a special discount in 2017. A sweepstakes started on October 27, 2017, at 12:00 PM EST and ended on November 12, 2017, at 11:59 PM EST. The winner was announced on November 13, 2017, via email and had to respond within 24 hours. The prizes were a REVV, 14K White Gold, Titanium and Diamond Accent Dog Tag (retail value $199) and a Sterling Silver, Citrine and Diamond Necklace (retail value $219).
Sirata Beach Resort was noted as collaborating with MilitaryBridge, though specific offer details were not fully provided in the available chunk.
Eligibility and Access Requirements
The documentation consistently emphasizes that proof of military service is a prerequisite for accessing these offers. The types of identification and eligibility criteria vary:
- Military ID: This is the most commonly required form of verification, used by restaurants like LongHorn Steakhouse, Max & Erma’s, Rock and Brews, Zoës Kitchen, 99 Restaurant and Pub, Tucanos Brazilian Grill, and Abuelo’s Mexican Grill. It is also required by retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot, and entertainment venues like Carowinds, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Mystic Aquarium.
- Valid ID or Uniform: Some offers, like Fazoli’s, accepted a valid ID or being in uniform.
- Government-Issued ID: California’s Great America required a government-issued ID for their military discount.
- Proof of Service with Photo ID: Knott’s Berry Farm required valid proof of military service with a photo ID for discounted ticket purchases.
- State ID with Veterans Designation: Home Depot generally did not accept these, though some locations might.
- MyLowes Card: Lowe’s used its MyLowes card for quick identification in its military discount program.
- Coupon: Fazoli’s required a coupon in addition to ID or uniform.
- Reservations: McCormick & Schmick’s recommended reservations for their complimentary meal offer.
Many offers were valid only on specific dates, such as Veterans Day (November 11), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), or Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May). Some, like the year-round discounts at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and certain vacation rentals, were available outside of holiday periods. Geographic restrictions were also present; for example, Abuelo’s discount was only in Virginia restaurants, and Tucanos’ May discount was at the Hampton Roads location only. The Armed Forces Vacation Club membership is open to eligible personnel, but the discounted stays are for specific resorts and timeframes.
Conclusion
The 2017 promotional landscape for military members featured a diverse array of freebies and discounts from restaurants, retailers, and entertainment venues. Access to these offers consistently required valid military identification and was often time-bound to specific holidays like Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and Armed Forces Day. While the specific offers and dates change annually, the structure of these programs—requiring ID, offering complimentary meals or admission, and providing retail discounts—remains a common way for businesses to show appreciation. Consumers should always verify current terms, locations, and identification requirements directly with the participating brand, as policies and offers are subject to change.