By the time Veterans Day arrives, the 2024 election will have hopefully ended. Many town hall events were held to inform the public of candidate positions on policy and public concerns. By far, the most consequential of these town hall events for me, the daughter of a WWII Veteran and wife of Viet Nam war Veteran, was held on October 24th at Holley Hall in Bristol. 

Vets Town Hall was sponsored by the Bristol Social Justice Discussion Group (thank you, Porter Knight!), the Bristol Recreation Department, and Lawrence Memorial Library. Emcee Jon Turner made it immediately clear to the 40 attendees that this was not a political event, but an opportunity for Veterans from all branches of service, including Reservists, from any era, to tell their story of what service to our country means to them. 

Vets Town Halls are spreading around the country in an effort to increase awareness of the trauma our men and women in the military experience — trauma so severe, that the suicide rate for Veterans is occurring at twice the daily rate as for non-Veterans: 16 per 100,000 civilians vs. 32 per 100,000 Veterans (2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.). 

Jon Turner is one of those Veterans who proudly stands before community members to tell his story of fighting in the Iraq war, losing 16 members of his combat unit, coming back to civilian life a changed man struggling to cope.  In an effort to turn devastation into rejuvenation, Jon provided housing for Veterans on his small farm in Bristol to teach them agricultural skills, giving them a new lease on life. Despite his own ongoing struggles, he also took on the challenge of Veteran suicide prevention by becoming a speaker for Vets Town Halls. He has traveled all over New England, providing dozens of Veterans the chance to tell their story without being judged for their tears. 

In this day and age of double sizing our soft drinks and French fries, we have learned that this is not necessarily a good thing. However, Jon Turner shows us that a Double Hero, fighting on the battlefield and now on his home turf for his fellow countrymen and women, is not just a good thing — it’s lifesaving. 

The next Vermont Vets Town Hall takes place at the Godnick Adult Center, Rutland on November 18, with a pre-event dinner at 5:30. (RSVP required for the dinner). All events are free. Non-veterans are encouraged to attend and listen. All events are non-political, and all prespectives valued. There is no debate on American foreign policy. 

Please join Jon and support his efforts to reduce Veteran suicide. Email Kristen Eaton at vetstownhall.org to see a list of future events or make a donation. 

“Any Stone Age society knows that if you send warriors off to fight an enemy, you had better make sure to reincorporate them back into the community when they come home. But how can this be done in a huge, modern society?  Simple — one community at a time.”  

—Sebastian Junger.

Patty Lewis

New Haven