Veterans Day is November 11, the day we thank everyone who has served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Some of them are standing in line at the grocery store. Some are coaching Little League. And some, for many of us, are the people we wish we could still say thank you to in person.
Whether you're writing a card, planning a classroom lesson, reading at a ceremony, or quietly remembering someone you've lost, these original poems are here for you to use.
Veterans Day and Memorial Day are often confused. Veterans Day honors everyone who has served, living and gone. Memorial Day, in May, specifically honors those who died in service.
In This Collection
- Short Veterans Day Poems
- Thank-You Poems for Veterans
- Acrostic Poems (Great for Classrooms)
- Veterans Day Poems for Kids
- Readings for a Veterans Day Service
- Remembering a Veteran Who Has Passed
- Classic Veterans Day Poems
Short Veterans Day Poems
Short enough for a card, a social media post, or a sign at the door.
On the Watch
You stood the watch so we could sleep;
you made the vows that cost you deep.
For every night of peace we know,
we owe you more than we can show.
What They Carried
They carried more than packs and gear:
the letters, names, the miles, the fear.
Some carried home what words can't say.
We carry thanks for them today.
Ordinary
He was a mailman, a coach, a dad.
She was the nurse with the laugh she had.
But once, they wore the uniform too,
and quietly, they carried you.
The Eleventh Hour
At the eleventh hour, the guns went still.
At the eleventh hour, we remember still
the soldier, the sailor, the airman, Marine,
the Coast Guard, the Guardian, the ones unseen,
who stood the line between harm and home.
Because of them, we are not alone.
Veterans Day falls on November 11 because the fighting of World War I ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, in 1918.
Thank-You Poems for Veterans
A Thank-You Note
Thank you for the birthdays you missed,
the holidays called home on a crackling line,
the boots you broke in on someone else's ground.
Thank you for coming home changed
and still showing up for us.
And for the ones who didn't come home:
we have not forgotten.
We will not.
The Cap at the Diner
I saw your cap with faded thread,
the ship's name and the years it read.
I didn't know quite what to say,
so I bought your coffee anyway.
But what I meant, and didn't speak,
was thank you, sir, for every week
you gave away when you were young,
so I could grow up safe among
the ordinary, easy days
you guarded in a thousand ways.
Acrostic Poems (Great for Classrooms)
An acrostic poem spells a word with the first letter of each line. These make wonderful classroom projects and cards.
VETERAN
Valor that never asked for praise,
Every oath kept through the hardest days,
Time given that can't be returned,
Each quiet lesson, hard-learned,
Ready when the call came near,
Answering in spite of fear,
Never forgotten. We are here.
SERVICE
Standing tall for you and me,
Everywhere from shore to sea,
Ready, brave, and always true,
Veterans, we honor you.
In our hearts and on our flags,
Courage packed in heavy bags,
Every day, we thank you, too.
Veterans Day Poems for Kids
Thank You, Grandpa
My grandpa wore a uniform
a long, long time ago.
He doesn't talk about it much,
but this is what I know:
he's brave and kind and strong and true,
and that is why today
I made a card that says "Thank You"
in red and white and blue.
Tip: swap "Grandpa" for Grandma, Mom, Dad, Uncle, or Aunt, and change "he" to "she" as needed.
Readings for a Veterans Day Service
These are written to be read aloud, slowly, at a ceremony, school assembly, or church service.
Roll Call
Call the names.
Not all at once, but one by one,
the way they answered once.
Call the ones who came home whole,
and the ones who came home carrying more than they left with.
Call the ones who stayed behind
on the hills and in the seas.
Call them, and let the silence answer:
Here.
Still here.
In us.
Two Minutes
A reading to open a moment of silence.
For two minutes, let the world be still.
Let the traffic wait. Let the phones go dark.
Let us stand where they stood,
if only in our hearts,
and remember that peace
was never free,
and never ours alone.
Remembering a Veteran Who Has Passed
Veterans Day can be tender when the veteran you love isn't here anymore. If this is your first year without them, this one is for you.
The First Veterans Day Without You
The flag is out. The parade goes by.
I look for your cap in the crowd,
your hand raised to your brow,
the way you stood a little taller
every eleventh of November.
This year, I stand for you.
I salute the way you taught me.
Rest now. You stood your watch.
We'll stand ours from here.
From experience: Grief has a way of finding the holidays, even the small ones. If Veterans Day stirs up missing them, you're not doing anything wrong. Wear their pin, fly their flag, tell one story about them to someone who never met them. Remembering out loud is a way of keeping them close.
For more, see our original poems for a military veteran's funeral program, poems by branch, and quotes for a veteran's funeral program.
Classic Veterans Day Poems
A few older poems are read at Veterans Day ceremonies across the country.
In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae, 1915. This is the poem behind the red remembrance poppy.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
The Bivouac of the Dead
by Theodore O'Hara, 1847. Lines from this poem are carved at the entrances of many national cemeteries, including Arlington. It's a fitting choice for a ceremony at a cemetery or memorial.
Using These Poems
The original poems in this collection were written exclusively for Noted & Charmed by C. Lindorfer. You're welcome to use them in Veterans Day cards, classroom projects, ceremonies, and memorial programs, with credit. © Noted & Charmed. Not for commercial use, republication, or resale. "In Flanders Fields" and "The Bivouac of the Dead" are in the public domain.
Honoring a Veteran's Life
If you're planning a service for a veteran, our military and patriotic funeral program templates include flag, branch, and service-themed designs, like the Home of the Brave Suite and Duty & Honor Suite. Every template is editable in free Canva. If you'd rather not design it yourself, our Done-For-You Service lets you fill everything in online, and we'll send you a print-ready digital file.
You may also find helpful: How to Plan a Military Funeral and Military Eulogy Examples.
To every veteran reading this: thank you. — Noted & Charmed