In observance of Veteran’s Day, Vegetarians of Washington asks you to join us in honoring all the service men and women, past, present, and future. Please remember especially all the vegetarians in the military today and everyday.

One such vegetarian was United States Marine Captain Alan Jones of Quantico, Virginia, nicknamed Captain America. Although crippled by polio when he was five years old, this able and fit vegetarian held the world record for performing 17,003 continuous sit-ups, and also set these impressive records:

September, 1974—Lifted a 75-pound barbell over his head 1,600 times in 19 hours
February, 1975—Made 3,802 basketball free throws in 12 hours, including 96 out of 100
June, 1975—Swam 500 miles in 11 days through the Snake and Columbia Rivers, from Lewiston, Idaho to the Pacific Ocean
September, 1975—Skipped rope 43,000 times in five hours
October, 1975—Skipped rope 100,000 times in 23 hours
November, 1975—Swam over 68 miles in the University of Oregon swimming pool, without a sleeping break
December, 1975—Swam one-half mile in 32°F (0°C) water, without a wet suit, in the Missouri River near Sioux City, Iowa
January, 1976—Performed 51,000 sit-ups in 76 hours

Vegetarians are becoming ever more common in the military. We recently wrote about how Norway’s military has gone veg one day a week.  For those in the US military wanting to connect we recommend Vegan and Vegetarians in the Military  Their mission is to provide information, resources, and support for vegans and vegetarians in the military and their families.

The food industry is doing their part as well to support our soldiers, sailors and marines. For instance, selected Amy’s products are available in all military commissaries, although each commissary may have a different selection of Amy’s items. Currently there are over 30 products approved for sale in military commissaries. Let’s hope that these products inspire more in the military to give veg a try!