Standing Strong for Our Veterans

Hello Sisters and Brothers,

I hope this letter finds everyone doing well. My husband and I just spent a week at his Vietnam military reunion. It consisted of about 150 men and their wives. I got this recipe from one of the wives and I thought it was cute:

Amazing Military/Veterans Wives

1 1/4 cup Patience

1 lb Adaptability

1 cup Courage

1 1/3 cups Tolerance

Dash of Adventure

Splash of Humor

Mix well. Add two tablespoons of elbow grease and leave alone for a year. Marinate frequently with salty tears. Pour off excess worry. Sprinkle ever so lightly with money. Knead dough until payday. Season with international spices. Bake twenty years or until done. Makes unlimited servings, and serve with pride.

The men would sit around talking about things they had done and saw, some funny, and others terrible. It makes you stop and think about the men and women of today going into the military as boys and girls. Yes, I said boys and girls. They go through their training and then are shipped off to war. They think when they get there, they will end the war, but then the reality sets in. They see their buddies shot, blown up, splattered against a helicopter, or shot down behind the enemy lines and have the wait for a helicopter to come rescue them.

Then when they come home, the lucky ones that do, they are changed. They are grown men and women now, could you imagine what it does to them? Some have families they can talk to; some choose not to talk to anyone about what they went through. Those that choose not to hold it until they can’t deal with it any longer. They’ll become alcoholics, others drug addicts, while some commit suicide, thinking

there is nowhere to turn.

That is what Warriors for Freedom is working on so hard to prevent. They get them to participate in activities, to get them back into their communities to socialize with people that understand them and try to make them proud of themselves again. Warriors for Freedom helps them with disability needs, transportation to and from appointments, food if needed, and clothing. I know most of us are married to veterans or active-duty military, some of them will talk about their service and others won’t, but they know they have you to support them. That is what our president Frank is trying to do in support of Warriors for Freedom with donations to carry on with the mission. We know it is truly a never-ending battle. For more information, please visit www.warriorsforfreedom.org.

If you would like to make a donation or have questions, please reach out to me or Department Treasurer Deborah Miner-Gonzales.

Thank you for your generosity and for helping to support those who have served our nation.