They served — and now Dick’s is serving them — free burgers, that is!

Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. announced Wednesday it will provide free hamburgers and cheeseburgers in honor of Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11. Free burgers will be offered throughout the day at all six Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants — including the new Edmonds location on Highway 99 — to any veteran or active military member as a way to honor past and present military service.

Dick Spady, co-founder and president of Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, is also a veteran of two wars and Dick’s Drive-Ins supports the local USO at Sea-Tac Airport and Joint Base Lewis McChord. “I served in the Navy in World War II and the Air Force during the Korean War,” Spady noted in a press release issued by Dick’s Wednesday. “My wife was in the Navy when we met and now I have a granddaughter serving in the Navy. Our family holds a deep respect and admiration for our veterans and active military members. They deserve our recognition and gratitude.”

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. until closing on Veterans Day, all veterans and active duty military members who can show any form of military identification or wear their military uniform will receive one free hamburger or cheeseburger.

The news release noted that Spady celebrated his 88th birthday in October, just days before the grand opening of the company’s first new restaurant in 37 years in Edmonds. More than 800 people attended the grand opening ceremony, and the new location broke the drive-in chain’s records for most burgers sold and total sales for a single day.

“We’ve got very enthusiastic fans and we hope they’ll extend that same enthusiasm in helping us share our gratitude to the community’s vets and active military members,” Spady said.