Army officer-turned-creator ‘MandatoryFunDay’ rises above Veterans Day backlash: 'I choose to laugh'

Austin von Letkemann, known as MandatoryFunDay, maintains apolitical stance while using comedy to support veterans and address community issues like mental health.

Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.

He’s trying to keep the focus on veterans and on his work. Von Letkemann partners with veteran-led companies and groups like the American Legion and Black Rifle Coffee on projects meant to help the community; this fall, he boosted an effort to pay off $25M of veteran medical debt. "It is an absolute privilege when I get to do stuff like this," he said of Black Rifle Coffee's Operation: Debt of Gratitude. "The military and veteran community has blessed me probably far beyond anything I deserve."The content creator also talked about why he leans so hard on comedy. "Comedy is like an equalizer — it disarms people," he said. "We create barriers and division among ourselves… but if I can make you laugh, you’re my friend. If I can keep you laughing, you’re like my best friend."Veterans Day, he added, is also a day of reflection. "The moment I realized I had lost more friends to them choosing to take their own lives than I’d lost to combat… that moment was probably the most significant," he said. "There are a lot of people that are not with us anymore for a lot of reasons. I’m very grateful that we celebrate those individuals."

He doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, especially on issues like veteran homelessness, but he points to two priorities: mental health and steady work. "One homeless vet is obviously too many," he said. "If we got the mental health issues that a lot of veterans face under control and employment under control, I think that would alleviate a lot of that."Mostly, he wants the conversation, online and off, to arc toward grace. "There’s a lot of negativity from the community, and it’s really disheartening at times," he said. "At the end of the day, we should all be supporting each other."As a father of four, von Letkemann says fatherhood changed his tone online: "Being the father of four daughters has definitely softened me… I have empathy at the forefront of my mind in the content that I make, and I think that displaying empathy is a strength." He doesn’t keep strict Veterans Day rituals, but when he’s home, "I like to grill… my daughters love the chicken wings that I grill."