Monday, September 17, 2012

Sangria Summit

A writers conference for military folks -- awesome idea!

Veterans have stories to tell and some of them are hard stories to tell but still need to be written down and shared with the masses.

Today, folks don't even think about the fact that we still have thousands of service members in Afghanistan and Africa fighting terrorists.  Normally people don't think about this until one is dead.  While I understand daily life must go on, it is a shame.

The difference between this war and previous wars of the 20th century is the lack of conscription.  This war was fought completely with volunteers and no American was asked to support.  No matter your political perspective, I believe that when the nation is at war, it should be fought by everyone or no one.

For those who won't actually pick up a weapon, there are so many ways to serve.  Volunteer at the VA or the VFW or the American Legion or on a base near you.  Educate yourself on the programs offered to Veterans so you can help them find them.

One of the most astounding things to me is the lack of knowledge of benefits.  I talked with two Veterans last week, both recently returned from Afghanistan.  Neither knew they were entitled to five years of medical coverage at the VA - FIVE years and one of them just lost his medical insurance.

Simple things like that can save the life of a service member who simply wanted the honor of serving his country.

So a big thank you to the organizers of the Sangria Summit last week.  What an amazing way to help Veterans tell their story!


2 comments:

  1. It was great to meet you at the Sangria Summit. Thank you for your kind words.

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  2. You too! Really appreciate the awesome conference!

    ReplyDelete