‘We stand united for our veterans’: See how celebrities honored military heroes
The stars are shining on America’s service members, past and present, this Veterans Day.
A host of entertainment luminaries, including Elizabeth Banks, George Lopez, Viola Davis, Reese Witherspoon, Giancarlo Esposito and Ellen DeGeneres paid tribute to the nation’s military heroes Wednesday on social media in honor of the patriotic holiday.
“On this #VeteransDay, we honor those who have served our country,” actor Kevin Bacon captioned a charming TikTok video of three servicemen knocking out some fun “Footloose” choreography in uniform.
“We owe you a debt of gratitude. Thank you for fighting for our freedoms. And don’t think for one second that these heroes don’t also have moves. You guys nailed this!”
Some, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, marked the occasion by recognizing the trailblazing career of Sydney Barber, who this month became the first Black woman appointed to brigade commander of the U.S. Naval Academy‘s Commandant of Midshipmen.
“A huge congrats to Sydney Barber,” Obama tweeted. “Your hard work — and the powerful example you set — are such an inspiration. I’m so proud of you!”
Among the many honoring their fallen loved ones were country singer Miranda Lambert, who thanked both of her “paw paws” for their service, and NFL star turned TV host Michael Strahan, who hailed his father as his hero.
“Happy #VeteransDay to my dad and all veterans who have served our country,” Strahan tweeted. “Thank you to our men and women in uniform, past, present and future. Dad, I love you and miss you every day.”
Others, including “One Day at a Time” mastermind Norman Lear, shared memories from their own time in the military. “Little Fires Everywhere” actress Kerry Washington dubbed Lear “a hero in every sense of the word” after the TV legend tweeted a photo of his younger self serving in World War II — and took a dig at President Trump for reportedly calling Americans who died in war “losers” and “suckers.”
“I’m the guy on the right with my B-17 crew — or as our current president would have it, I’m one of the ‘losers and suckers’ who were credited with 52 missions and dropped bombs 35 times in World War II,” he wrote. “Shame on you, Mr. President, and Happy Veterans Day.”
Outside of social media, many stars participated in eBay’s annual Veterans Day Celebrity Auction benefiting Homes for Our Troops. Among the available items are a “Captain America” shield autographed by Chris Evans, an Omega Globemaster watch signed by George Clooney, a Sachin & Babi dress originally worn by Mindy Kaling and a Mona Lisa Louis Vuitton tote bag donated by Jennifer Aniston, as well as Zoom meet-and-greets with Whoopi Goldberg, Gwyneth Paltrow and more.
Here’s a sampling of how other celebrities observed Veterans Day this year.
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