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Yesterday was Veteran's Day.

I left the house early in the evening, intending to get dinner before the band rehearsal. I thought I might try the Golden Corral, but when I arrived, the line stretched out the door around the door and way off over yonder. It looked like every American Legion and VFW post in several counties were meeting there, 100% attendance too.

Ahh, well, off to Plan B. The local Tex-Mex eatery is always good and reasonable. They had a sign offering 50% off to all Veterans with ID. I am a Veteran, have not one but TWO Honorable Discharges, but no ID as I am not retired and got out 30 some years ago. So I ate, a very decent meal, too, and paid full price.

Today, I was reminded that my D/L says "VETERAN" on it, an option for Texans who are veterans!

I get stopped every ten years or so and don't get carded anymore, even for senior coffee at McDonalds, so I never look at my D/L. Costly, it turns out!

All you Texans who are Veterans ought to get down to the D/L office and get your D/L to reflect that honored status. It'll save you some dough a couple of times a year, and maybe pay other dividends too.

The State of Texas will issue you a set of license plates for your vehicle that has your Military branch emblem with the branch name at the bottom of the plates. It can also say "honorably discharged". There is no cost for these plates. I have them on two of my vehicles. I took a picture of my license plates to show to Applebys last night as proof but they didn't ask to see anything. I also have a picture of me in uniform on my Facebook page that I can access from my cell phone.

Go here:

http://txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plat ... Itemid=145" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

howdy wrote: I also have a picture of me in uniform on my Facebook page that I can access from my cell phone.

I wish I had pictures of me in uniform, but Mathew Brady was busy back then and couldn't come out to where I was stationed.

My brother and I, both "former Naval persons", persuaded our waitress last Memorial Day of our Veteran status without paperwork, so I guess there is no harm in asking.

howdy wrote:The State of Texas will issue you a set of license plates for your vehicle that has your Military branch emblem with the branch name at the bottom of the plates. It can also say "honorably discharged". There is no cost for these plates. I have them on two of my vehicles. I took a picture of my license plates to show to Applebys last night as proof but they didn't ask to see anything. I also have a picture of me in uniform on my Facebook page that I can access from my cell phone.

Go here:

http://txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plat ... Itemid=145" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's very easy to get said plates. The DMV folks just took a look at my DD-214 and Honorable Discharge certificate. They processed everything right away and I got the plates a few days later. I had to pay because I went with the vanity plates, but if not for that they would have been free.

Edited to add: Sorry for the off-topic post, BTW

howdy wrote:The State of Texas will issue you a set of license plates for your vehicle that has your Military branch emblem with the branch name at the bottom of the plates. It can also say "honorably discharged". There is no cost for these plates. I have them on two of my vehicles. I took a picture of my license plates to show to Applebys last night as proof but they didn't ask to see anything. I also have a picture of me in uniform on my Facebook page that I can access from my cell phone.

Go here:

http://txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plat ... Itemid=145" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for the info on the plates. Going to do that.

Glad I could help out JAllen! And thanks to helping you out, I learned about the license plates and spent about 15 minutes in line just now to update my plates to Desert Storm status! The girl at the tax assessors office couldn't have been friendlier! She even loaned me a screwdriver since I didn't know I had to turn in my old plates. And now, I've learned to put a little tool kit together in my car.

This is the thread that keeps giving!

SATX-Scrub wrote:Glad I could help out JAllen! And thanks to helping you out, I learned about the license plates and spent about 15 minutes in line just now to update my plates to Desert Storm status! The girl at the tax assessors office couldn't have been friendlier! She even loaned me a screwdriver since I didn't know I had to turn in my old plates. And now, I've learned to put a little tool kit together in my car.

This is the thread that keeps giving!

You can't count on help like that, I guess, but I have noticed that folks here are infinitely friendlier and more helpful than the ones I dealt with in CA. The DMV in CA is staffed by malevolent imbeciles in my experience. Of course, that's how it was when I lived here before, only even more so.

JALLEN wrote:You can't count on help like that, I guess, but I have noticed that folks here are infinitely friendlier and more helpful than the ones I dealt with in CA. The DMV in CA is staffed by malevolent imbeciles in my experience. Of course, that's how it was when I lived here before, only even more so.

My, how things have changed. When I lived in California, the DMV was staffed by benevolent imbeciles!

I'll buy your dinner Jallen. As a thank you for your service and a welcome to TEXAS! Just tell me where you and your mrs favorite eatery is, and I will drop a gift card in the mail since we are in different parts of the state.

Wodathunkit wrote:I'll buy your dinner Jallen. As a thank you for your service and a welcome to TEXAS! Just tell me where you and your mrs favorite eatery is, and I will drop a gift card in the mail since we are in different parts of the state.

Well, isn't that something! How generous, and thoughtful, too. We're so new here we haven't settled on a favorite as yet, or even what the choices are!

Give me a day or two, please. and Thanks!

My honor, just keep me posted.

Just found out about the Veteran status thing on the DL, when I was checking out how to renew. Went to the DPS DL office last week with a copy of my DD-214. They made a copy and gave me my copy back. Very easy and very nice.

By the way - all you need is ONE DD-214 from any time of your service showing an honorable discharge. You do not need the fancy certificate, just a copy of the DD-214, and it's easy peasy to do. Did it at my renewal time this last August which worked out OK, since they said I wasn't eligible to renew by mail.

Your VETERAN status is right under the expiration date.

PS, folks: while you're there - let the DPS update your DL to show that you're a donor, too!

If you apply for "Veteran" status for the reduced cost when you renew your CHL, the word Veteran will appear on your CHL too.

howdy wrote:If you apply for "Veteran" status for the reduced cost when you renew your CHL, the word Veteran will appear on your CHL too.

That must be a really new change as I just renewed last year as a Veteran and I don't see anything on my CHL indicating that I am one.