“Give Returning Warriors Time to Talk.”
I met with Sandra and Jerry for a brief time at the local VFW the other day. They’re veterans, fellow BNI members, and tireless in their work and volunteer efforts. They got me thinking about some of the other friends I’ve met on the bridge between the civilian and military worlds.
Sandra served in the Marines from 90-03. She's been to Iraq. Afghanistan. Guam. The LA riots. The police academy. Her doctor warned her that she wouldn't be able to walk in a year, so she changed course. She's on the board of her local VFW and American Legion. There's a VFW in almost every town, a quiet magnet for those who served overseas. No brawls in this bar.
Jerry was Air Force from 70-74. Thailand. Vietnam. Shreveport. Germany. Maine. He chose Air Force over the draft and infantry. He loves black and white movies like Belfast, and he’s been in real estate with his wife Connie for more than forty years.
You've seen Tucker on the big screen and the small. He's got an opinion, and he'll share it, whether you like it or not. He shows up. To your backyard wedding, veterans' open mic night, your mom and dad's 60th wedding anniversary (never even met them before) clear across town. That mission ten thousand miles away that went horribly wrong. Shot to shit, should've been dead, but he survived. Tucker kicks ass and tells stories, plays a mean slide guitar and sings the blues. He read us a poem about Jim Northrup, his Ojibwe brother. The one who said "give returning warriors time to talk." Just listen. Learn. Be there.
Thom Tran's a stand up comic, founder of the GI’s of Comedy. He's the traffic guy on your radio, and a rock n roll guitarist. Airborne. Shot in the head fourth day in country. The video's up on YouTube.
Strong. Arnold Strong. Retired Army colonel. A born diplomat and gentle soul. Years later, after many twists and turns, he finally married Jessica, his high school sweetheart. Months after the stories dropped off the front page, Arnold is working hard to help people left behind in Afghanistan. You can learn more and help his efforts at Afghan Evac and Operation Snow Leopard. Daily updates are also available at Afghan Digest.
So many stories to share. These are just the intro. I’ll have more to say about Sandra, Jerry, Tucker, Thom, Arnold, and others. I live on this bridge. I hope you’ll join me.
