No, not those outfits with the slick advertising budget that spend more begging for donations than they supposedly do to help those in need- - - - -just the regular Joes at the local level who look out for each other! In the past week or two, our local American Legion and VFW (we meet in the same building and do a lot of joint projects) have been involved in several assistance projects- - - -helped a VFW member with some pretty severe physical disabilities move into a new apartment that meets his needs better than his former residence, transported another member to his chemotherapy appointments, did some emergency roof repairs to another member's home to try to slow down the deterioration of an older house he inherited from his Mother, and helped the same guy find a car to replace the aging 1980s Ford LTD sedan he's been driving. That one bit the dust a while back, and cut off his only source of income- - - - -delivering pizzas!
This guy is 'interesting"- - - -and not in a particularly good way. His military career began as an officer- - - - -OCS after graduating from the University of Alabama- - - - -which didn't really work out- - - -so he became a Staff Sergeant, driving a fuel truck- - - -which also didn't pan out. "Discharged for the good of the service"- - - - -sound familiar? Now, the guy carries a small cooler everywhere he goes, containing numerous "anxiety" medications, and a pocket-sized spiral notebook into which he writes himself notes on a regular basis. "Strange" isn't really an adequate way to describe his behavior, but it's a good starting point. I got involved in the search for a car, and found one a few miles away in north Alabama- - - -I'll pick it up tomorrow morning, and the post commander will take over the paperwork transfer from there. I'm glad I was able to help out a fellow veteran in need, even if only a peripheral manner. There's a special bond veterans share with each other, no matter how different their individual circumstances might be- - - -or how "responsible" or bizarre- - - -or "strange" their behavior might be at times! "Thank you for your service" doesn't quite make the cut when the rubber meets the road- - - -actions speak far louder than words!
Jerry
