When football players take the field, they are usually deep in their own thoughts and focus. They may be psyching themselves up for the game or running through assignments in their head. However, one high school football player in Louisiana recently chose to direct his attention to the veterans in attendance at the game.
Chase Hill, #83 on the Parkway High School team, left his teammates as they were rushing onto the field for the second half to individually thank all the veterans who were at the game. The Oct. 9 game in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, was dedicated to servicemembers, veterans and first responders. However, Hill took the time to shake every veteran's hand and thank them for their service.
According to KSLA 12 News, one of the people at the game took a photo of Hill's actions and posted it to the Bossier Parish Police Department Facebook page. The photo quickly went viral, receiving thousands of comments and shares, all of them praising Hill's respect for the veterans.
The Daily Caller reported that the police department praised Hill on their website, calling him a class act.
On Oct. 24, the VA in Prescott, Arizona will host the 2nd annual Veterans Olympic Day. Servicemembers and veterans from every branch are invited to bring their families and participate in a day of sporting competition. This year's event will be sponsored by the Arnold Air Society at Embry-Riddle University, the Marine Corps League and the local VA.
According to The Daily Courier, the main events of the day will be held at Northern Arizona Veteran Affairs Health Care System's sporting venues. The competition categories include dodgeball, basketball, pickleball and cornhole. Aside from the sports, there will be music, free food and other activities for those in attendance to enjoy.
This is a great way for veterans and current military personnel to let loose for a day and enjoy themselves. It is also an excellent opportunity for servicemembers to meet and influence some of the ROTC students at Embry-Riddle University.
"This is the second year we are hosting this event and our veterans really seemed to enjoy the sports and activities," Dr. M. Keith Piatt, the VA's chief of staff, told The Daily Courier.
The 2015 Veterans Olympic Day will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is required.
Starting in 2016, the Department of Veterans Affairs has planned a program to increase education and employment opportunities for veterans. The Veterans Economic Communities Initiative will begin in 25 test counties, according to WKMS.org. One of those counties is Montgomery County in Tennessee.
The news sourced also reported that while many other counties had to apply to be considered for inclusion in the program, the government selected Montgomery County on its own. The heavy military population and Fort Campbell make the Tennessee region an excellent place to test the initiative's effectiveness.
"This is a great opportunity for us to continue to support and empower our local veterans and provide them with the resources necessary for continued success," County Mayor Jim Durrett told ClarksvilleNow.com. "This is yet another tool to assist our veterans in making the decision to stay in Montgomery County after serving."
Every community involved with the initiative will be assigned an economic liaison, as reported by ClarksvilleNow.com. This individual is responsible for working with local government officials and business leaders to develop programs and resources for the veterans in the area. Every liaison position will be funded through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
While veteran unemployment reached its lowest numbers in 2014, there is still a significant percentage of former servicemembers who are unable to find work. The Border Jobs for Veterans Act hopes to provide some relief by employing these individuals in defense positions along the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.- Canadian borders.
According to Tucson News Now, the Border Jobs for Veterans Act will employ former servicemembers with Customs and Border Protection. They will be trained to guard the border and be responsible for legal entry into the U.S. Proponents of the Act argue that not only would hiring veterans fulfill the vacant Customs and Border Protection positions, but the extra employees could help speed up processing checkpoints at the borders.
"This legislation will put veterans to work, improve national security, increase trade, and grow the economy – all at no additional cost to the taxpayer," Arizona Senator Jeff Flake said on his website.
Veterans that spoke to Tucson New Now were also very enthusiastic about the Act's potential. Many said that the job sounded like meaningful work that would benefit them in their lives after service.
On Sept. 9, the Act was passed in both houses of Congress, meaning the only thing it needs to go into full effect is the president's signature.
Michigan State University has consistently made College Factual's veteran-friendly campus list, and a group of MSU students are working to make the campus even more welcoming to former servicemembers. Junior Michael Shepard is one of the students in charge of Spartans Aiding Warriors, a group that partners with the Wounded Warrior Project to make the campus more welcoming for veterans.
"Spartans Aiding Warriors is dedicated to helping veterans on this campus," Shepard told The State News. "We want to provide an avenue for veterans to have fun with a larger group while fundraising for a great cause."
Most recently, Spartans Aiding Warriors held an event called the Spartan Race to raise money for their organization and generate awareness for their group. Shepard and the others wants to make the project fun for all in involved.
Anyone who joins the organization pays a $10 club fee and gets kit full of promotional materials and campaign resources, according to The State News. Shepard, whose life has been affected by veterans in many ways, hopes to see his organization grow, so that even more former servicemembers would be interested in making Michigan State University home.
Even though it is sometimes called the Forgotten War, over 5.7 million servicemembers served in the Korean War, according to CNN. The memorial for those who served and gave their lives in that war is located in Washington, D.C. However, the U.S. National Park Service reported that the memorial is in need of some major repairs. Samsung Electronics answered their call in a big way.
"Over sixty years ago, millions of U.S. service members came to South Korea's aid during the Korean War," Won-Kyong Kim, the executive vice president of Samsung Electronics America, told Business Wire. "More than one hundred thousand Americans were wounded and over 36,000 gave their lives in defense of freedom. Samsung remembers their sacrifice."
The electronics company donated $1,000,000 to Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation's Maintenance Fund. The money will be used to help the park service redo the grouting around the Pool of Remembrance, maintain the shrubbery in the area and keep the statues polished. Military Times reported that the donation money will be kept in an endowment where it can gather interest and keep the memorial in good repair for years to come.
Samsung Electronics made the donation on Oct. 12, and on Oct. 16, officials from the company will help clean up the Korean War Memorial as part of the company's National Day of Service.
Travel is one of life's great gifts. To lose yourself in a place or culture you have never experienced before is truly remarkable. For veterans, travel provides the opportunity to rediscover themselves on the road. Below are five U.S. destinations no veteran should miss out on.
1. Washington, D.C.
As the nation's capital, D.C. definitely tops the list of places former servicemembers should visit. Here veterans will be able to explore memorials from the World Wars, Vietnam and Korea. There are museums galore, and each one has something unique to offer. They can walk the steps of federal buildings and visit the home of their Commander in Chief. Washington, D.C. is the ultimate trip for veterans.
2. Boston, Massachusetts
Veterans with an affinity for history should make the journey to Boston. Former servicemembers can walk the Freedom Trail, visit the site of the Boston Tea Party, visit the location where the Boston Massacre took place and follow the path of Paul Revere's midnight ride. With so much of the nation's history packed into one city, former servicemembers are sure to have a great time.
3. Honolulu, Hawaii
Underneath the beautiful waters of Pearl Harbor lie the remains of the USS Arizona. Aside from being a paradise, Honolulu is great for veterans of any war to come and see the sunken battleship and explore the memorials.
4. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
On the now-quiet fields outside Gettysburg, there once raged one of the most important battles in American history. Veterans from every walk of life should make the journey to Pennsylvania to see the place where brother fought brother and the momentum of the war was changed. Walk in the footsteps of Civil War veterans and take in the history.
5. Yorktown, Virginia
As one of the eight shires that made up the colony of Virginia, Yorktown has been around since the country's beginnings. This region hosts some of the most impressive Revolutionary War reenactments around, and it is only an 15 minute drive to Williamsburg, another colonial city. Veterans can see what America was like in its infancy and how the earliest servicemembers made it what it is today.
Travel can provide veterans with a new outlook on life. It can offer them a glimpse of what life was like for veterans of other wars or remind them of their own service. Many destinations also have discounts that honor former servicemembers and their families. All that is left to do is hit the road.
Veterans are the keepers of some of the nation's most important history. It is vital that society record and preserve their experiences and memories, so that it can learn from them. The American Folklife Center in Helena, Montana, is working hard to keep veterans' stories alive in conjunction with a national initiative to promote historical preservation.
The center recently began work on the Veterans' History Project. Led by Sen. Steve Daines, the Montana chapter's mission for the project is to train local volunteers to record veterans' personal accounts of war and history and gather the personal items they are willing to share. The stories collected will be preserved in the Library of Congress.
The Great Falls Tribune reported that the "project makes personal accounts of wartime veterans accessible can be an incredible resource for researchers, educators and future generations to better understand the realities of war."
The volunteers in Montana will spend the day of Oct. 10 collecting the narratives, postcards, photographs and other wartime memorabilia from local veterans. These items will later be sent to join the rest of the nation's stories in Washington, D.C.
Veterans face challenges that many people cannot begin to understand. Whether it be transitioning into life after service or coping with combat-related stress, the issues that former servicemembers face would be difficult for anyone to overcome. Some veterans believe that no one will understand what they are going through, and therefore, they bottle up their emotions. Many refuse to seek help from a therapist for fear of judgment. Veterans interested in alternative outlets for their feelings may consider one of the creative pursuits below.
1. Art
Painting, ceramics and photography are excellent methods of expression for veterans who cannot put their feelings into words. Art allows them to convey their experiences on a canvas and rediscover the beauty of life through a camera lens. You do not even have to be knowledgeable of whichever form of art you choose. You just have to put yourself into it wholeheartedly. Organizations like the United States Veterans Art Program provide great opportunities for veterans to express themselves artistically.
2. Music
It does not matter if you're jamming away on a guitar solo or belting out the high notes of "Bohemian Rhapsody," there is no doubt that music provides a therapeutic release. In fact, music has been scientifically proven to reduce stress and promote relaxation, both of which would benefit veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder. Operation We Are Here is an excellent resource for musically inclined veterans.
3. Theater
Former servicemembers who may be hesitant to share their feelings might consider the stage as an alternative way to emote. Many plays offer actors the opportunity to express joy, fear, anger and passion in the safety of a character's identity and without fear of personal judgment. Nonprofits like Feast of Crispin make it possible for veterans to utilize theater as an alternative form of therapy.
4. Dance
There is a freeing feeling when you are whipping around the dance floor. Dance is a cathartic form of expression that allows people to lose themselves in the music. Veterans can find healing through many types of dance. Programs like 3Arts even provide adaptive dance classes for disabled veterans.
5. Creative Writing
Whether veterans want to them for themselves or share them with the world, putting their stories down on paper is sometimes one of the most relieving experiences they will have. Poetry, short stories, nonfiction and playwriting are all ways that veterans could express themselves. There are a number of organizations, like The Veterans Writing Project, that are dedicated to helping former servicemembers find the tools to help them tell their stories.
The artist Pablo Picasso once said, "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." Creativity, in whatever form it takes, provides individuals with an outlet for emotions and memories. Veterans who are coping with combat-related mental issues or having difficulty finding their place in civilian society could benefit greatly from pursuing a creative hobby. Any of the artistic activities listed above could be exactly the kind of release that a struggling former servicemember needs.
Many veterans face difficulties with reintegration on their return from combat. They believe their experiences alienate them from friends and family. They may also have gone through a traumatic event that has caused them to withdraw socially. One of the most helpful treatments for former servicemembers experiencing any of these difficulties in life after service is using art as an emotional outlet.
That is the idea on which the Feast of Crispin, a nonprofit acting troupe in Wisconsin, based its organization. According to the nonprofit's website, the founders saw successful results from a theater program for incarcerated teenagers in Massachusetts and decided to apply the idea to veterans. The group works to pair professionals actors with interested veterans to perform Shakespeare plays on a local stage. Why Shakespeare, you ask?
"One of the reasons that the Shakespeare works so well is it's this language that just holds big emotion," Nancy Smith- Watson, an actress and project director with Feast of Crispin, told ABC News. "It elicits it but it also holds it, the metaphor just enables a lot of emotion to be put on them."
Many of the Bard's plays have intense scenes that allow veterans to express their rage, sadness, joy or pain in an artistic way that is free of judgment. The troupe's most recent production is "Julius Caesar" and features 13 veterans from various branches of service. Several of the former servicemembers that participated told the news source that the experience was a great form of therapy and allowed them to work through their emotions in a safe and creative way.
Since its beginnings in 2013, Feast of Crispin has given over 200 veterans the chance to express themselves through theater, according to ABC News. It is free for former servicemembers to participate in Feast of Crispin, and interested parties are encouraged to contact the group for more information.