Fans of our Veterans Advantage Facebook page took time for a special salute to Military Spouse Appreciation Day last Friday. Not only was it a timely way to recognize military families as part of the Mother’s Day holiday weekend, but also it signified the month-long celebration that makes Military Appreciation Month what it is today: A special time to express your gratitude.

“We have seen every part of our society come together and make a real commitment to supporting our military families — not just with words, but with deeds. Yet, we must do more to honor the profound debt of gratitude we owe our military spouses. Their strength and resolve reflects the best of the American spirit, and on this occasion, let us pledge once more to serve them as well as they serve us,” President Obama said last week.

Do your part: Key dates for military and veteran families coming up include Armed forces Day May 18, and Memorial Day May 27 – this is an opportunity for all Americans to reflect and recognize the service of our military.

And let’s not forget June’s Flag Day, and July’s Independence Day, rounding out peak season for patriotism in our country this spring and summer.

Veterans Advantage has always believed in taking time to say “Thank You” for the sacrifices of our nation’s military and their families every day, and it is through events like these that remind us to re-double our efforts and keep the gratitude alive throughout the year.

As part of our regular holiday-season reminders for our 1800Flowers discount — 20% OFF — for Veterans Advantage members, we want to remind you that Mother’s Day is coming up May 12, and you have many shopping options with a range of great brand names. Just within the 1800flowers family, your Veterans Advantage discount code will get you 20% at 1800baskets, Cheryl’s Cookies, Fannie May Fine Chocolates, Fruit Bouquets.com and the Popcorn Factory – six sites, just one checkout! Just start at 1800flowers.com, and apply our special members only discount code — log into Members Only to retrieve that.

Here’s a sampling of other great benefits for Veterans Advantage members in time for Mother’s Day:

• CVS/pharmacy: Sweets & perfumes.
• United Airlines or Lufthansa Airlines: A romantic weekend getaway gift, across the US or Europe, and around the world. See more in our Travel & Entertainment section.
• High Tech: A laptop from Apple or Dell; wireless plans and accessories from Verizon Wireless or T-Mobile. See more in our Home and Office Section.
• Overstock.com, Target.com or Sears.com: Apparel, jewelry, gifts. See more in Everyday Shopping.
• Lady Foot Locker.com: Outdoor active wear and shoes for the summer. See more in Everyday Shopping.

We wanted to let you know about our latest special Members Only discount — SAVE 50% when you choose to extend your VetRewards Card membership by three more years. PLUS, you can get a free DVD documentary of President George H. W. Bush, a wartime president and Veteran of World War II.

With your order today, thanks to our Veterans Advantage discount partner HBO, you will receive the DVD of the recent HBO Presidential Documentary, “41″, story of George Bush Sr., a WWII Vet and Wartime President — FREE with your order while supplies last! An HBO exclusive, “41″ is a rare, intimate glimpse at the life and times of the 41st president of the United States, the first documentary to tell George Herbert Walker Bush’s story in his own words.

The “41″ DVD currently sells online at the HBO Store for $19.98 + $4.95 shipping. But this offer is only available for a limited time for Veterans Advantage Members: Extend your membership today and save!

Our Corporate Career Symposium launches this Friday, April 26 at Citi offices in lower Manhattan. We expect a strong turnout where Vets will hear about the resources available to them and the hiring practices at Fortune 500 companies. There will be tips on resume building and interviewing skills.

Dr. Michael Haynie of Syracuse will deliver the keynote address. Paul Bucha, Medal of Honor recipient and Advisory Board member of Veterans Advantage, and I will conduct panels with senior corporate representatives. Those Vets who attend and submit their resumes to the individual companies, will be guaranteed an interview at a future date!

The companies, which collectively employ 1 million people, include GE, Citi, CBS, Google, Avis Budget Group, Tudor Investments, Penn Mutual, Dell, Verizon Wireless, Prudential, SAC, BAE Systems, among others.

The Symposium is led by our presenting sponsor GE, its underwriting sponsors — Citi, Google, Tudor Investments, Penn Mutual, City University of New York (CUNY), Avis Budget Group and HBO — and event sponsors — BAE Systems, CBS, Dell, Ford, Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, SAC Capital Advisors LP, 1800Flowers, Edge4Vets and Prudential Financial Inc.

On the benefit front, we are rounding up some great seasonal offers to start enjoying the warmer season across America. Our first reminder – Mother’s Day is three weeks away. Act now with 1-800 Flowers!

Our Vietnam, Korea and World War II-era members may remember him best, but the late Jonathan Winters brought a unique style of humor to generations of Americans. He also served in WWII with the Marine Corps.

Winters was a comedian and television and film actor, best remembered for his roles on the big screen in It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and in television on Mork and Mindy in the 1970s. He was also the voice of Papa Smurf in the movie edition of The Smurfs. He died of natural causes at the age of 87.

During his senior year of high school, Winters quit and joined the United States Marine Corps and served two and a half years in the Pacific Theater during World War II — he served as a gunner on the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard. Upon his return he attended Kenyon College, and subsequently found his break in acting and comedy.

He was known to have influenced generations of comics with his signature brand of improvisational humor, such as Jim Carrey and Robin Williams, who starred alongside Winters in Mork and Mindy.

“First he was my idol, then he was my mentor and amazing friend,” he wrote in a Twitter tweet. “I’ll miss him huge. He was my Comedy Buddha. Long live the Buddha.”

Fellow comedian and actor Steve Martin similarly paid tribute: “Goodbye, Jonathan Winters. You were not only one of the greats, but one of the great greats.”

Probably the best-known of characters from Winters is Maude Frickert, the seemingly sweet old lady with a sharp tongue, who delivered a piercing roast of former President Ronald Reagan while he was still governor of California, on the Dean Martin Roast. He won Grammy awards in 1975 for the children’s recording Little Prince and in 1996 for comedy recording Crank Calls. He received the Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1999.

In 1991, Winters won his first and only Emmy Award (outstanding supporting actor in a comedy) for his role as Randy Quaid’s father on the sitcom Davis Rules.

Winters was survived by his two children, Lucinda and Jay, and five grandchildren. His wife of more than 60 years, Eileen (Saunders) Winters, died on January 11, 2009.

We are pleased to announce a new benefit to your VetRewards Card Membership: Lufthansa Airlines! As we noted in our joint press release, the addition of Europe’s largest airline complements the airline benefit provided by longtime partner United Airlines, and provides greater worldwide coverage for Veterans Advantage members. Since both United and Lufthansa are Star Alliance partners, the miles you earn on your travel can be applied for future travel on either airline.

We recently reviewed our contact lens provider, AC Lens and found that they continue to offer significant savings. One of our staff ordered a year’s supply and saved $100 vs. a well-known direct marketer of contact lenses. Veterans Advantage members are entitled to a 10% discount on already low prices. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Additionally, with only a few days left ahead of the tax deadline, here’s one last reminder: check out our Jackson Hewitt benefit partnership, with a $30 downloadable coupon good on your tax visit to a JH office in your neighborhood.

Finally, we have set April 26 for our Corporate Career Symposium in NYC. This is a great opportunity for Post-9/11 Vets – There are guaranteed interviews from top U.S. Companies! Click here for details in a PDF download.

Hiring Our Heroes Participants (l to r): NYC Veterans Affairs Commissioner Terrance Holliday, Medal of Honor Recipient Dakota Meyer, Veterans Advantage Board Member Gerry Byrne and Veterans Advantage Founder and CEO Scott Higgins.

I had the pleasure and honor to meet with patriotic corporations, and special military veterans, in New York City just last week as part of our nation’s push to get our Post-9/11 military into the civilian workforce. Last Wednesday, Hiring Our Heroes — a program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation — hosted another in its nationwide series of hiring fairs at the 69th Regiment Armory in downtown Manhattan.

Although “Hiring Our Heroes” is a national initiative, this latest stop in the Big Apple should provide an added boost to this already dire need. We need to get momentum here in our nation’s media and financial capital, so the buzz can translate into significant jobs across the country. Even VA Secretary Shinseki made a stop to review the activity, as well as Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer.

The latest initiative from Hiring Our Heroes – in fact, let’s call it an innovation – comes through its “Personal Branding” skills translator engine. Much more than a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) translator, the Resume Engine captures the totality of a veteran’s military experience – including awards, deployments, and military schooling – and helps put them into civilian terms. It is packed with input from Fortune 500 human resources consultants and intended to help newly transitioning veterans hit the ground running with a successful career.

Dakota Meyer has been making the tour of these job fairs helping to get the word out, and this past week he graciously took the time to hang out with me, board member Gerry Byrne, and Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) Terrance Holliday.

Participate! For more on upcoming dates and locations for Hiring Our Heroes, click here.