It's Veterans' Day in Arlen!
For this year's Veterans' Day Parade, Peggy decides to update last year's Iwo Jima float with authentic war medals -- courtesy of Cotton. She and Hank run into Cotton and his family at Mega Lo Mart, and Peggy tries to sweet-talk the medals out of him, but Cotton won't have it. Later, Hank discovers his dad has moved from Houston into the Arlen VFW because Cotton's new wife and baby are too much for his military pension to support. Since Cotton won't take a handout, Hank gets him a job as a greeter at Burton's Prime Rib. However, Cotton is soon "promoted" to degrading bathroom attendant duty.
The day of the parade, Peggy proudly tows her new concept: an antiwar float. Cotton, meanwhile, is stuck at work, until he sees his repossessed Cadillac "sissified" as a float. He hijacks the Caddy and goes on a driving rampage, with Hank in slow-pursuit towing Peggy's float. Ultimately, Hank catches up to Cotton, whose outburst made him realize that even though he's hit rock-bottom, he still has a family who needs and loves him. Cotton decides to take Hank's money...as payback for all the money Cotton spent raising him in the first place!