Today is Veterans Day. This holiday celebrates and honors those who have served in the United States military. Originally this holiday was known as Armistice Day. It marked the end of World War I at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. In 1954, the holiday was renamed to its current name.
In 2012, The Walt Disney Company started its Heroes Work Here program. Last year, the program celebrated its 10th year. Through the course of the first decade, Heroes Work Here saw Disney hiring over 12,500 veterans. Over the course of my time visiting Disney Parks through the years, I’ve had the honor of getting to meet multiple veterans who have ended up working at Disney. Today I want to take a moment and share how thankful I am for these people. They have served their company and then moved to Disney where they make magic for people on a daily basis.
As I think through the years, one veteran in particular is popping out at me. She worked in the Main Street stores for many years and would always call me her “Sunday regular.” We would have fantastic conversations through the years about Disney, life, and who knows what else. What she did, and so many others do every day, was make me feel welcome and valued as a guest at the Disneyland Resort. She always went out of her way to make sure and say hit to her “Sunday regular.” I have not seen this cast member in probably over a decade, however, her impact continues on today. It was always extra special when I was able to be at Disneyland for Veterans Day when I would see this person march down Main Street with other veterans who were being honored on this day. I would think back of her stories about being in the Navy as a nurse.
I’m very thankful for the veterans I’ve been able to meet and interact with through the years at the Disney Parks. They all contribute to the magic and make the world a better place, first through their service to the country and then their service to the mouse. I’m also thankful that Disney honors and recognizes these people who have given so much. I think this is something that is very admirable that Disney does. I hope it continues to grow through the years and more amazing veterans get to work for The Walt Disney Company. I also hope I get to meet and make friends with them as well. It really does make the world a little bit better!
What are you thankful for today? Share what you are grateful for in the comments below. Make sure to stop by Daps Magic every day to check out the different things we are thankful for during our 23 Days of Thanksgiving!
