Over 50 veterans gathered to perform on the first day of the 2016 Local Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Reno, Nevada, reported the Reno-Gazette Journal. The Department of Veterans Affairs sponsored the event, which started March 2 and continues through March 11. The festival is in its third year.

Last week's opening performance, which took place at the Reno Elks Club, featured comedy, poetry and short-story readings, and musical performances. A ventriloquist even performed.

"It's so that people see that veterans are talented, that we don't just serve the government and serve where we were put but we all have special little gifts that we like to share," Linda Esterling, a 65-year-old former U.S. Marine Corps candidate administrator and the aforementioned puppeteer, told the newspaper.

Eric Hobson, a veteran of the Vietnam War and writer, also performed. The ex-servicemember recited his poem "The Hills Art Alive," a piece about enemy gunfire that plays off the popular film "The Sound of Music." Hobson attended three separate screenings of the movie during his time in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. All three showings were interrupted by advancing North Vietnamese soldiers.

"I hate the movie," he said in an interview with the Reno-Gazette Journal.

Veterans who create visual art will have the opportunity to display their work during a showcase at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno. It starts Wed. March 9 and wraps up March 11 with an awards ceremony.

The VA funds this and other local veterans arts competitions across the country. Winners from local festivals are invited to perform at the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival, which takes place Oct. 10 through 17 in Jackson, Mississippi. 

Art therapy is a key treatment for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, reported NBC News. It allows participants to confront their problems and work through them in a constructive and often powerful way. In recent years, art therapy has gained a national foothold among veterans. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence, a division of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, made waves in 2013 when it commissioned its art therapy participants to create a series of painted masks, reported National Geographic.

A sailor killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor was buried March 9 in Honolulu, Hawaii, reported The Associated Press. Petty Officer 1st Class Vernon Luke grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin and served on the USS Oklahoma as a machinist's mate. The sailor was killed Dec. 7, 1941 when Japanese forces attacked the U.S. naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Luke was 43.

Military personnel were unable to identify Luke's remains so, at the close of World War II, he was laid to rest with 387 fellow unidentified shipmates. 

Last year, the Department of Defense exhumed the bodies of the sailors to make identifications with modern DNA testing technology, reported Time magazine. 

"The Secretary of Defense and I will work tirelessly to ensure your loved ones' remains will be recovered, identified and returned to you as expeditiously as possible, and we will do so with dignity, respect and care," Deputy Secretary of Defense Bob Work said in a news release.

Luke was identified during this initiative. He was reburied in a Honolulu veterans cemetery. Distant family attended the ceremony that closed with 21-gun salute.

Ray Emory, a Navy veteran who served on the USS Honolulu during Pearl Harbor, also attended. Emory told The Associate Press he was happy to see that the military was finally taking action to identify unknown servicemen killed in the attack. 

"Here it is 75 years after the attack and they're finally getting around to getting some of these people identified," he said. "It's taken them a long time to do it." 

In recent years, the number of living Pearl Harbor survivors has dwindled, reported The Washington Post. Around 60,000 civilians, marines and sailors survived the attack. However, officials estimate that only a few thousand remain. Military personnel, families and historians understand that these men and women are key to keeping the memory of Pearl Harbor alive.

Over 2,000 died in the attack, which prompted Congress to declare war on Japan and enter World War II. 

Students at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana treated local veterans to free dental care Feb. 29 through March 2, reported The Gazette. Ex-servicemembers received tooth cleanings, dental X-rays and other services free of charge.

The USI Dental Hygiene Program, in conjunction with its Veteran, Military & Family Resource Center and the Southwest Indiana Area Health Education Center, hosts the program annually. This year, the appointment schedule filled up quickly.

Students work the clinic, but instructors supervise and manage patient flow.

"They learn a lot," Dr. Sam Euler, a professor at USI and clinic overseer, told The Gazette. "They need to see diversity – all different types of mouths – the ones that aren't so clean and the ones that are clean. And it helps the veterans, too, because it's free of charge."

To receive care, veterans had to show valid military identification and fill out a medical history form.

Larry Gries, a Vietnam War veteran, had his teeth cleaned, received a fluoride treatment and got a new set of dental X-rays through the program.

"Oh, I think it's fantastic," the 67-year-old said. "It helps us and it helps the students. They do a thorough job."

Dental care is a key problem for many former servicemembers, reported The Huffington Post. Most don't qualify for Department of Veterans Affairs dental benefits. To receive dental benefits, veterans must be entirely disabled, have been held captive as a prisoner of war or developed an oral condition during deployment. However, the agency does allow former members of the military to enroll in low-cost dental insurance plans via a number of providers.

To fill the void, many private dentistry practices and educational institutions offer free or cost-effective services to veterans. Last year, Aspen Dental, a nationwide dental services company, partnered with the military nonprofit Got Your 6 to help over 4,000 ex-servicemembers receive care.

The Aura Home for Women Veterans, which originally began in Buncombe County, recently expanded with a new office opening in Asheville, North Carolina. This nonprofit organization, aims to assist homeless women veterans in the community by providing housing solutions as well as necessities to readjust to life, including clothing, transportation and meals.

The Aura Home for Women Veterans was founded by Alyce Knaflick to help make a difference in the homeless women veteran community in North Carolina, which is ranked among other states as having one of the highest populations of homeless female veterans, according to WLOS News 13.

Knaflick told WLOS News 13, "Women veterans seem to be second class citizens here…They don't get the job training opportunities, they don't get medical care and they don't get housing."

This organization aims to provide women veterans with a home. It also aims to give the support needed for women to get back on the path toward a successful career post-military. Reliable information sources for women veterans pertaining to finding jobs, training, financial assistance or education, are available at the Aura Home for Women Veterans.

Members of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, on March 4, discussed pain management techniques for veterans during a field meeting in Concord, New Hampshire, reported The Associated Press. The group, chaired by Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., traveled to the state to examine innovative pain relief methods employed at Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in Manchester and White River Junction, Vermont.

Reps. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., and Frank Guinta, R-N.H., invited the committee.

Doctors at White River Junction VA Medical Center prescribe acupuncture, aquatic therapy and yoga to local veterans with chronic pain, reported Vermont Public Radio. The reasoning is simple: the state is at the center of the ongoing opioid crisis. Deaths attributed to drug overdose are up 113 percent since 2013, reported Al Jazeera. This crisis has had a major impact on veterans, as many return home with battle scars that cause long-lasting chronic pain. Often, VA physicians prescribe addictive painkillers to these individuals, which can lead to drug dependency.

Many ex-servicemembers go out of their way to avoid opioids. Carol Hitchcock, an Iraq War veteran, came to the medical center in White River Junction looking to do just that. Hitchcock had injured her shoulder in the service and could no longer stand the pain. She needed help but refused to take painkillers. So, physicians at the hospital tried acupuncture and it worked. The procedure changed her life.

"I sleep, which I hadn't done for a number of years," she told Vermont Public Radio. "I can actually sleep now because of this. The pain is not there. I guess it's cyclical, right? So I feel better, so I am healthier, so I sleep better and my weight is under control now, so everything just aligns."

During their March 4 hearing, Coffman and his fellow legislators praised the hospital for its work but asserted that the VA needed to offer more support to physicians developing such treatments.

"The department can't simply introduce well-intentioned programs and then fail to manage them properly," he said. "If these alternative treatments really work, they need to be implemented rapidly."

The act of listening is at the base of a heartfelt project created for veterans who need it most, The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project.

The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project aims to heal veterans through the power of communication. Veterans tell their stories and share their experiences through different listening sessions while nonveterans listen. This national project is centered around the notion that veterans deserve more than just a simple thank you for their services. It's imperative for others to listen to what they have to say.

This project gives veterans, who are overcoming struggles and inner conflict from serving in the military, the chance to express themselves through words.

"When they can share their experiences and they're not judged because of what they've done, and they're still respected and people are still compassionate that can be a big relief for them" Steven Stone, executive director of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County stated to WDTN 2 News.

The listening sessions enable veterans to speak their minds and be heard without judgment. Whether they're struggling to deal with society post-war or just need someone to relate to what they're going through, they can receive the support they deserve and need. During the sessions, nonveterans volunteer and show their support by offering their full and undivided attention to see a veteran's perspective and understand first-hand experiences of war. This helps to knock down the gap between veterans and nonveterans. It also helps to clear up any misconceptions nonveterans may have regarding military life. 

The Welcome Johnny and Jane Home Project creates impactful human interactions. The hope is for a stronger connection between the community of veterans and nonveterans.

A veteran in Huntington Beach contributed to The Library of Congress' Veterans History Project, reported the Huntington Beach Independent. Harold Tor, 88, served in the 11th Airborne Division of the U.S. Army during World War II and earned a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and other commendations for his service. Tor deployed to the Philippines and, on Feb. 23, 1945, participated in the Raid at Los Banos, an allied military offensive that resulted in the liberation of over 2,000 civilians and military prisoners from a Japanese prison camp. He was wounded twice during the war and was discharged after losing his arm, from the elbow down, during an ambush.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tor enlisted when he was only 16. Even today, he remains thankful that the recruitment officer looked past his falsified enlistment application.

"They only had two requirements to get into the military back then," he told the newspaper. "The first was you had to be able to walk through the recruiting office door, and the second was you had to be breathing."

Tor took part in a narrative collection drive organized by his local American Legion Post 133 in Huntington Beach. Jim Seiler, a Vietnam War veteran and employee at the post, brought the Veterans History Project to the attention of his superiors who then encouraged members to donate their stories.

"It's a means of preserving their story," Seiler said in an interview. "When they're gone, their story will be available for their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It'll also be available for future historians, students and anybody that is writing a book about anything and wants some background. In some sense, it's a form of immortality for the veteran."

Congress, in 2000, passed legislation that established the Veterans History Project, reported The New York Times. The Library of Congress' American Folklife Center runs the initiative which, as of last month, has collected more than 100,000 stories from former military personnel.

First lady Michelle Obama, on March 2, recognized female veterans during a reception in Washington, D.C., reported ABC News. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi organized the event to celebrate Women's History Month.

At the reception, Obama encouraged women ex-servicemembers to share their stories.

Retired Air Force Brigadier Gen. Wilma Vaught joined the military in 1957, almost 10 years after Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which allowed women to enlist in the armed forces. Vaught left the Air Force in 1985 and went on to serve as president for the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, reported RealClear Politics. The nonprofit lobbied the federal government to construct a monument to female veterans. Workers broke ground on the project in 1995 and completed it two years later. Vaught retired from the organization Jan. 1, 2016.

The first lady honored Vaught by presenting her with the American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol on that day.

"Thanks to brilliant, fearless women like Gen. Vaught, today more than 200,000 women are serving our country in just about every role and rank," Obama said. "They are flying fighter jets, training new recruits, they're graduating Army Ranger School – and I met those graduates. They are awesome – fierce. And as you've already heard, they will soon be welcome in every combat unit in our armed forces."

Former U.S. Army Reserve photographer Kate Hoit served for eight years and did multiple tours in Iraq. Upon returning home, Hoit and a fellow male veteran went to register at their local Veterans of Foreign Wars office. Staff at the VFW branch mistook her for a military spouse. 

"I was pulled aside and asked if I needed the military spouse application," she told ABC News. "I asked why, and they said, 'You know, you're a younger woman.'"

Hoit now works for Group 6, an advocacy group committed to changing perceptions about female veterans.

Obama addressed the problems young women like Hoit still face when they return home from service. She renewed the Obama administration's commitment to support female veterans by shining light on women servicemembers and continuing to expand military benefits for women. Under President Barack Obama, over 2,400 healthcare providers have established specialized services for female veterans. 

"When these women have sacrificed so much and served so bravely, they should never have to hide their accomplishments," the first lady said. "They should never have to worry about whether their service will be valued equally. And just like every veteran who has served this country, they should be getting every single one of the benefits they've earned."

After they get out of the service, many veterans turn to different kinds of entrepreneurship as a means of making a living. Often, these efforts go quite well, but sometimes they might need a hand, and that's where a new government program in Indiana comes in.

The state recently launched its Indiana Grown Homegrown by Heroes, as a means of promoting agricultural businesses run by veterans throughout the state, according to a report from the Associated Press. Altogether, about 15 veteran-run businesses are already part of the program, which will spread out more in the future.

"It supports local farmers, and it helps support veterans," Glenn Hile, a Marine Corps Reserves veteran and beekeeper who was one of the first to sign up, told the news organization. "I just think it is a great idea."

Programs such as these, as well as veteran-focused organizations, often go a long way toward helping veterans get back on their feet and find success in civilian life. As such, they are worthwhile investments both privately and publicly, and can help former servicemembers in a number of ways.

Many veterans come home from combat with serious physical and mental scars, and those are issues that need to be addressed on an ongoing basis. As such, many groups have cropped up in the last several years to help ease that transition back to civilian life, including an unconventional one in Indiana.

Operation Combat Bikesaver helps connect with veterans by giving them something very practical to do: rebuilding beat-up, old motorcycles, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. The organization has only been open for about a year, and was started by a veteran who found that rebuilding a bike of his own relieved his stress and gave him something to focus on.

"I know it helped me," Jason Zaideman, an Army vet and president of Operation Combat Bikesaver, told the newspaper. "It lit a fire. This helped me, it could help someone else. We would like to be a resort or retreat where people battling PTSD, [traumatic brain injury] or depression can come out when they need to."

The group crowdfunds its efforts to buy and restore old motorcycles, and has already drawn significant interest from donors and veterans, the report said. Right now, there are 15 people on the waiting list to rebuild a bike, but there is not enough space for the organization to accommodate them. Because of the demand, it is hoping to expand in the near future, into a garage space that can house more than one project at a time. Right now, the space the organization uses is the garage at Zaideman's house.

The more that can be done to help veterans deal with the effects of combat after they leave the service, the better off they will be as their lives move forward.