By Debbie Schlussel

**** SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATE ****

I always love to tell you, my dear readers and friends, about free stuff. Well, today on Veterans Day, if you are an American military veteran or currently serving, there are a lot of free things for you to take advantage of. As I’ve noted before, these are actually greater marketing tools for the purveyors than they are opportunities for free stuff for vets. But still . . . there are a lot of great freebies for vets today, including haircuts:

• Denny’s: all-you-can-eat stacks of buttermilk pancakes. But you’ve got to pay up for anything else you get.

• Great Clips: Vets can walk in on Monday — with no appointment — and get free haircuts. If you don’t have the time Monday, or just got a buzz cut, you can still snatch a rain check for a freebie haircut.

• America’s 100 national parks: All parks with admission fees are waiving them for vets over the three-day weekend.

• Hooters: offers vets free meals to $10.99 — as long as you buy a beverage.

• Participating Massage Envy shops in Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Northern Virginia region: a free, one-hour massage (worth $49) to active military and veterans. Appointments are mandatory. A standard 20% tip (about $10) will be expected — but not required. No rain checks.

• California Pizza Kitchen: will serve vets any pizza on its menu for free — even The Works.

• Vets get free access on Monday to a Kiplinger’s and Wells Fargo-sponsored online tool — valued at $49.95 — that helps vets create a personalized strategy to boost Social Security benefits. Instructions at www.SocialSecurityforVeterans.com.

• Golden Corral: a free buffet dinner and free beverage to active-duty and retired military.

• Applebee’s: Veterans and Active Duty Military get a FREE Signature Entrée. Veterans will be given a selected menu to choose from and must have proof of military service.

• Olive Garden: Veterans and current service members get a free meal from a special menu.

• Chili’s: Free entree for veterans and active military personnel, dine in only. Beverage and tip not included. Show military identification.

• Krispy Kreme [DS: not to be confused with Chris ChrispieCreme, who is not giving veterans freebies, but is giving Hamas supporters judgeships]: stores will feed a veteran’s sweet tooth with a free doughnut and small coffee.

• Red Robin: a free Tavern Double burger — served, of course, with bottomless fries.

• Starbucks: will pour a free, tall brewed coffee to vets and active military — and their spouses.

• Red Roof Inn: is offering 15% off at more than 350 properties nationwide all November to vets, active-duty military and their families.

So, if you served and have proof, thanks for your service, and enjoy the free stuff. If you served America, you deserve it and more.

**** UPDATE: Reader and American military vet, John Robert Mallernee, a highly-decorated career U.S. Army man who proudly served in Vietnam and Korea and came from a military family, writes:

GOLDEN CORRAL GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND

In response to my extremely presumptuous request, the Golden Corral restaurant in Fayetteville, North Carolina, arranged to have their free Veterans Day dinner picked up and delivered to my stepmother, Alma Capps Mallernee, who resides in the Assisted Living facility at Heritage Place.

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Gulfport, Mississippi

Happy Veterans Day, John! Thank you for your service.