More than one veteran motor head has found that what they miss most in their life after service are the military-grade vehicles they got to work on and ride in daily. The Veterans Garage in the small village of Posen, Illinois seeks to put them back in touch with the engines they loved so much.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the garage is dedicated to two missions. The first is to complete professional restoration projects on classic military vehicles. The second, far more dear mission is to show veterans the kind of brotherly support and companionship that can often go missing in civilian life.
"The physical place is really the smallest part of it," Joe Werner, co-founder and proud owner of a half-dozen or so military vehicles, told the Tribune. "First and foremost, we like to connect with veterans and let them know that they can look at the vehicles we have. They can come to the garage and see what's going on there. If they want to come to an event that we go to, they can ride with us, or in some cases they can come and actually drive a vehicle."
The Veterans Garage official website describes it as a place to swap stories, contribute to a restoration project, watch a movie or just hang out and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. Veterans are free to come and go, moving between the comfortable sitting area, the displays full of military artifacts and, of course, the fully operational motor pool.
At the moment, the Veterans Garage is still a small, relaxing place for veterans and gear heads alike to meet and shoot the breeze. Werner is happy to have a place veterans can call their own.
"It's what I'm really, really proud of," he said to the Tribune. "By being respectful of what (the veterans') interests are and listening, I'm learning to let this thing become bigger than it is."