Veterans Day 2018 presented a wide array of complimentary offers and discounts for active duty military personnel, veterans, and their families across the United States. The available source material details promotions spanning dining, retail, home improvement, travel, automotive services, and entertainment. These offers were typically valid on November 11, 2018, though some extended into the surrounding weekend or offered redeemable benefits for later use. Verification of military status was a standard requirement for most participating businesses, often necessitating proof of service such as a military ID, VA card, or uniform.
Dining and Restaurant Offers
Multiple dining establishments offered free meals or specific menu items to veterans and active duty personnel on Veterans Day. These promotions generally required the individual to be present and often specified dine-in service only.
- Applebee’s: Provided a free lunch or dinner for veterans and active duty military members.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: Participating locations offered a free order of 10 boneless wings and fries to veterans and active duty personnel.
- Coca-Cola Cake (Montana Locations): Veterans and active duty military could select a free meal from a limited menu at Montana locations in Missoula and Billings. Notably, there was no Bozeman location participating in this specific offer. Additionally, these locations provided a complimentary slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake on November 11, valid for dine-in only.
- Denny’s: Offered a free Original Grand Slam breakfast to veterans and active duty members from 5:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
- Golden Corral: Held a Military Appreciation Night from 5:00 PM to close, providing a free meal to veterans and active duty personnel.
- Hy-Vee: Provided a free breakfast for veterans and active duty military between 6:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
- Texas Roadhouse: Participating locations offered meal vouchers to veterans and active duty personnel for a future free meal, available from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Beauty and Personal Care Services
Great Clips was the primary beauty service provider highlighted in the source material for Veterans Day 2018, offering a flexible promotion that benefited both veterans and the general public wishing to show appreciation.
- Great Clips: On November 11, 2018, veterans and active service members could visit any U.S. Great Clips salon to receive either a free haircut that day or pick up a free haircut card to use later. These haircut cards were redeemable through December 31, 2018.
- Customer Appreciation: Non-veteran customers who received a haircut on November 11 could also receive a free haircut card to give to a veteran as a thank you. There was a limit of one card per customer, while supplies lasted.
Retail and Home Improvement Discounts
Several major retailers offered percentage-based discounts or specific promotional events for military members.
- Home Depot: Offered a 10% discount to all military veterans on specific holidays, including Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day.
- Lowe’s Home Improvement: Provided 10% off to all veterans and active duty service members. This discount was noted as being available every day by signing up for a MyLowes card (not a credit card), marking a recent change from previous years when the discount was limited to specific holidays.
- Target: Veterans, active duty personnel, and their dependents could receive a 10% discount at Target from November 4 through November 12, 2018, using a free coupon valid both in-store and online.
- Mattress Firm: Offered 20% off to veterans, their families, and first responders from November 9 through November 12, 2018.
- Sears Garage Services: Provided a 10% discount on any product or service from November 9 through November 12, 2018, for anyone with a valid military ID.
- SmileDirectClub: Active military and veterans received $200 off an invisible aligner purchase during Veterans Day weekend (November 9 to November 12, 2018).
- Rack Room Shoes: Military personnel and dependents received 10% off their entire purchase on Veterans Day, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July.
- Goodwill: Offered 50% off all donated apparel with a valid military ID.
- Cabela’s: Hosted Hometown Heroes events featuring a 5% discount for Military Personnel (active and retired military, active reservists, and VA recipients), Law-Enforcement, Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Service personnel with proof of service.
- Eyewear Retailers: An extra 10% off all eyewear was available on November 11 and 12, 2017 (Note: The source text cites 2017, which may be an error or outdated reference for the 2018 compilation, but is included here as presented in the text).
Travel and Lodging Offers
Travel-related discounts focused on accommodations and recreational fees.
- Red Roof Inn: Offered active duty or retired military members 40% off their room rate when booking between November 1 and November 22, 2018, for stays through the end of February 2018 (Note: The end date of the stay period appears to be prior to the booking date in the text, but this is the information provided).
- Carnival Cruise Line: A special booking promotion for active and retired military personnel ran from November 3-14, 2017 (Note: Source text cites 2017), providing a $50 onboard credit per cabin, a two-category upgrade, and reduced deposits of $99 per person.
- Army Corp of Engineers Recreation Areas: Waived all day use fees at over 2,800 recreation areas nationwide. This waiver was available to veterans, active and reserve component service members, and their families, requiring only verbal confirmation of service.
Automotive Services
Automotive discounts included collision repair and vehicle purchasing incentives.
- Meineke Free: From October 14th to November 11th, customers could receive up to 45% off select services at participating Meineke locations.
- Enterprise Car Sales: From November 1 – 30, 2017 (Note: Source text cites 2017), active U.S. military, veterans, and dependents received a Firestone prepaid maintenance package valued at $300 with the purchase of a used vehicle.
Entertainment and Events
Various community events and venue admissions were free or discounted for veterans.
- National Park Service: Invited all visitors to visit any National Park Service site for free on Veterans Day. This offer was open to anyone, not just veterans.
- Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium: Hosted Veteran’s Recognition Day, offering free admission to all active and retired military members, veterans, and their immediate families.
- The Durham Museum (Omaha, NE): Provided free admission and a free hot dog meal to veterans and their immediate families on November 9 and 10.
- Starbucks: Offered a free 12-ounce brewed coffee (hot or iced) to veterans, military service members, spouses, and military spouses.
- Eagle Raceway: Hosted a Memorial Day Lucky-Ganza event on May 26, 2018, featuring Great Clips as a presenter. While this event took place on Memorial Day rather than Veterans Day, it illustrates the type of community appreciation events associated with military holidays. The event included a Go-Kart & Race Car show, autograph sessions, and drink specials.
Summary of Redemption Requirements
To access these offers, veterans and active duty personnel generally needed to provide proof of service. Acceptable forms of verification included:
- Military ID
- VA Card
- Uniform (for verbal confirmation, as seen with the Army Corp of Engineers)
- Proof of service documentation
For retail discounts requiring coupons, such as the Target offer, customers were required to obtain a free coupon prior to purchase, valid for the specified dates. For service-based offers like the Great Clips haircut, the benefit could be redeemed immediately or via a voucher card valid for a future date.
Conclusion
The 2018 Veterans Day promotional landscape offered significant value for military members and their families, ranging from essential services like haircuts and automotive maintenance to dining and entertainment experiences. The offers were widely available across national chains and specific regional businesses. The most consistent requirement across all participating entities was the verification of military or veteran status. Consumers were advised to check with individual locations for participation and to bring appropriate identification to redeem these benefits.