Holidays & Seasonal

Remembrance Day and Veterans Day: 45+ Things to Write

45+ Remembrance Day and Veterans Day messages — for veterans, bereaved families, workplaces and wreath cards — plus why "happy" is the wrong word.

By Funtastic E Cards Editorial Team 4 min read

Small vase of pale flowers beside a white candle
Photo by Andrew Petrov on Unsplash

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Remembrance Day and Veterans Day are among the few occasions where getting the tone wrong is genuinely noticed. Restraint is the whole register. Here are 45+ messages.

Send yours in a free holiday ecard if you cannot say it in person.

For a veteran or serving member

  1. Thank you for your service. Thinking of you today.
  2. With respect and thanks, today and always.
  3. Thinking of you today and grateful for everything you gave.
  4. Thank you for your service, and for what it cost you.
  5. With gratitude for your service. Thinking of you.
  6. Thinking of you today. Thank you does not really cover it, but thank you.
  7. Grateful for your service and for the years since.
  8. Thank you. Today and every other day.
  9. With deep respect on Remembrance Day.
  10. Thinking of you and everyone you served alongside.

For a bereaved family

  1. Thinking of you and remembering him today.
  2. Remembering your father today, and thinking of all of you.
  3. Thinking of your family this Remembrance Day.
  4. He is remembered. Thinking of you today.
  5. Remembering her service and her sacrifice today.
  6. Thinking of you on a day that must be very hard.
  7. Holding you and your family in my thoughts today.
  8. He has not been forgotten. Thinking of you.

General remembrance messages

  1. Remembering those who did not come home.
  2. With respect and gratitude, today and always.
  3. Lest we forget.
  4. Remembering all those who served, and all those who were lost.
  5. Taking a moment today to remember.
  6. With gratitude to everyone who served.
  7. Remembering them today and every day.
  8. Thinking of all those who gave so much.
  9. In grateful remembrance.
  10. We remember them.

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For an organisation or workplace

  1. We will be observing the two-minute silence at 11am. All are welcome to join.
  2. Today we remember colleagues past and present who served.
  3. Our thoughts are with everyone who has served and their families.
  4. We will pause at 11 o’clock. Thank you for joining us.
  5. Remembering with gratitude those who served from this community.
  6. With respect and remembrance from everyone here.

For a memorial or wreath card

  1. In grateful remembrance. We will remember them.
  2. With respect and thanks, from all of us.
  3. Remembering those who gave everything.
  4. In memory of all who served from this parish.
  5. With gratitude, always.
  6. Never forgotten.
  7. In remembrance and with thanks.
  8. For those who did not return.

Short messages

  1. Thinking of you today.
  2. With respect and gratitude.
  3. Lest we forget.
  4. We remember them.
  5. Thank you for your service.
  6. Remembering them today.
  7. In grateful remembrance.
  8. Thinking of you and yours.

How to write it

  1. Keep it restrained. This is the occasion where understatement carries the most weight.
  2. Do not say “happy” anything. Neither Remembrance Day nor Veterans Day is a celebration.
  3. Thank the person, not the war. Focus on their service and what it cost, not on politics.
  4. Do not ask a veteran about combat. If they want to talk about it, they will raise it.
  5. Remember the families. The bereaved carry these dates as anniversaries, not commemorations.

Send it

A free holiday ecard reaches someone you cannot see on the day. See also anniversary of a death messages and what to write in a sympathy card:

Pair this with a gift

Ideas that suit the occasion, each linked to one product we picked. Prices and availability are set by Amazon and can change.

Holiday Gift Basket

Our pick: Burt's Bees Classics gift set in a tin

Best for: Office gifts, host gifts, family bundles

Occasion: Holidays

Festive treats that ship gift-ready during peak season.

  • Saves wrapping time
  • Great for groups
  • Order early — holidays sell out
View on Amazon

Festive Treats Hamper

Our pick: Holiday chocolate, nuts and fruit basket

Best for: Households, hosts and family gatherings

Occasion: Holidays

Food and drink to share — works for Christmas, Thanksgiving, Eid, Diwali or any gathering.

  • Shared rather than personal
  • Suits a whole household
  • Scales to any budget
  • Check dietary requirements first
View on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, FuntasticECards earns from qualifying purchases. How this works

FAQ

What do you write for Remembrance Day?

Something short and restrained. “Thinking of you today” or “with respect and gratitude” is the right register.

Should you say “Happy Veterans Day”?

Better not to. Neither day is celebratory, and “thank you for your service” is the safer and more welcome wording.

What do you say to a veteran?

Thank them directly and simply, without asking questions about their service. Let them lead if they want to talk.

What do you write to a bereaved family?

Use the person’s name and say you are thinking of them. For families these dates are anniversaries, not commemorations.

What is a good short message?

“Thank you for your service. Thinking of you today.”

What should you write on a wreath card?

One line and your name or organisation. “In grateful remembrance” or “we will remember them” is standard and appropriate.