At Patriot Surplus, we know all about being patriotic, but if you’re not sure on how you can let your own inner patriot shine, well, we have a few tips for you.

Here’s a list of 25 things you can do to be a patriot:

1. Show support for our military. Those brave men and women do more for us than we even know.
2. Take time to thank a veteran. A simple hug, handshake, letter, or card will make their day.
3. Educate yourself on the military. It helps to know the facts, especially in regards to discussing what our military is doing, what they’ve done, and what they will do.
4. Visit veterans at a local VA hospital. Donate your time, and if you can, your assistance.
5. Say the Pledge of Allegiance.
6. Learn our National Anthem and always remove your hat and place a hand over your heart when it’s performed or played.
7. Say “Sir” and “Maam”, “Please” and “Thank You”. Show others you have manners. Hold doors open for others. Be chivalrous.  Be respectful of others as well as our nation.
8. Salute the flag.
9. Support veteran-owned businesses in your local community.
10. Visit and honor those who have served in your community. If a community member was killed in the line of duty, be sure to visit his or her grave site and place a wreath or flower. Or pay condolences according to the family’s wishes.
11. Show your support for those who serve in all professions that protect us, including EMS and law enforcement personnel.
12. Write post cards or letters to troops overseas or send care packages.
13. Support causes that benefit veterans and those who serve, such as the Oscar Mike Foundation or the Wounded Warrior Project.
14. Stay informed of national and international affairs, as well as our nation’s history.
15. Never back down in the eyes of tyranny.
16. Keep an American flag on your porch.
17. Visit national historical sites on your family vacations.
18. Buy American products.
19. Watch patriotic movies on movie night.
20. Learn the history of your state.
21. Vote.
22. Have a desire to make our country a better place.
23. Love our country unconditionally.
24. Display a flag or wreath in honor of Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day.
25. Equip your closet with military apparel, military support gear, and other cool stuff from Patriot Surplus. You’ll be supporting a veteran-owned business while showing off your pride for our men and women in uniform.

A fantastic new project dedicated to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice is gaining attention both within and outside the military community. The “In the Event of my Death…” Letters Project is a collection of “last letters home” from those who have returned from combat alive, wounded or not, as well as from families of those killed in action. The Letters Project is currently housed on a blog run by Daniel Gade, an active duty Army officer who started the project, but eventually, these letters will be compiled into a book. All proceeds from the book sales will go to military charities.

Gade got the idea for the project from his own unique experience. Before he was deployed to Iraq in 2004, he wrote a letter to his wife, Wendy, to be opened in the event of his death. After he returned home, he found the letter again in 2011 and shared it with his wife. The reaction to that letter sparked his idea.

Gade contemplated the hundreds of thousands of servicemen and women who had written this type of letter to their families. He felt that all too often, the sacrifices and stories held in these letters remain unsung. And so, he set into motion a project. One book with 30 to 50 letters. No commentary, no opinions, and no politics. Just the honest, truthful words of those who serve.

The In the Event of My Death Letters Project just launched this month and you can check out all the details on Gade’s blog. Please support this amazing project.

We couldn’t agree more with Gade’s sentiment – all to often, these stories go untold.: http://intheeventofmydeath.wordpress.com/

Ross Selkirk Taylor, or Twitter's @DriverRoss

Unknowingly, a WWII veteran may have been the first to “tweet” from the frontlines. Well, maybe not exactly tweet, but you’ll see what we mean.

In January, a Twitter account was created to share a story that may have happened in 1940, but is still very relevant today. @DriverRoss is the official Twitter account for Ross Selkirk Taylor, a Scottish World War II veteran who kept a diary account of his life in the Royal Army Service Corps.

According to the bio of @DriverRoss, Taylor is sharing his story as a 21 year-old WWII British Army driver through his grandson (@ayreslive). Each day, Taylor’s grandson tweets daily entries from his 1940 pocket diary, detailing everything in Taylor’s diary account of 1940, including his deployment to France and his eventual imprisonment and torture by Nazi forces.

“It sounds insane that my grandfather tweeted the first year of World War II. But when you look at his tattered 1940 pocket diary, in which each entry is less than 140 characters, that’s precisely what he did,” says Chris Ayres, the man behind the Twitter account as well as an author and journalist.

The Twitter account launched on January first and will continue until December 31, 2012. Right now, you can catch Taylor’s diary entries from February 1940 and in May, things will take a dramatic turn, as this was the point in 1940 where Taylor was captured from Le Mans, France by a Nazi Panzer division.

It’s an interesting project and one that draws attention to the forgotten heroes and amazing stories of World War II. Check it out by visiting http://www.twitter.com/driverross