U.S. MARINE VETERAN Jon Turner speaks about his service in Iraq during a Veterans Town Hall at Bristol’s Holley Hall on Oct. 24. About a half-dozen other veterans shared their experiences, as well.
Photo courtesy of Kristen Eaton/vtvetstownhall.org

BRISTOL — For those who’ve served in the United States Armed Forces, often the battles they face don’t end once they return home. Navigating health problems, finding work and reconnecting with family and friends are among the common challenges veterans might face when readjusting to civilian life, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Vermont Vets Town Halls are aimed at shedding light on the experiences of those who’ve served —  during their service and after returning home — to increase understanding and communication between veterans and citizens in their communities.

Such town halls, started with the help of author Sebastian Junger, have been held around the state each year since 2017. During these events, veterans are invited to share their experiences serving our country and what it means to them.

This year’s series of Vets Town Halls kicked off in Bristol on Oct. 24 with an event at Holley Hall organized by the Bristol Social Justice Discussion Group.

“(Sebastian Junger and collaborators) came up with this initiative as a mechanism for veterans to approach their community and talk about their experience; to share their story,” Bristol veteran Jon Turner told those in attendance. “This is saving lives. This is changing lives, and it’s helping to build a stronger and more resilient community.”

Turner hosted the Oct. 24 event and was among about a half-dozen local veterans to speak. He served with the U.S. Marines from 2003-2007 and now operates Wild Roots Community Farm in Bristol.

He spoke with community members about how challenging it can be to leave your time in combat behind upon returning home, particularly on the anniversary of events experienced while serving or since coming home.

“That’s always difficult because it’s not something I ever anticipate, and every year I feel like it’s gone, it proves me wrong,” he said. “It’s really easy at that point to go into a funk and stay in that funk and spiral down and not really care about anything else.”

He shared some of the brighter moments from his service, particularly those involving dogs. Turner recalled how during a combat tour in Iraq he and others became acquainted with a dog named “Dirt.”

“(While operating in Iraq) Dirt would be with us the entire time, and we’d go out on day missions and night missions, and we learned that he was actually pulling security for us,” Turner said. “He would make rounds and if we were in an ambush site, we would just kind of go around and he would keep dogs away from us. We watched this time and time again; it was unbelievable.”

Dirt was among a handful of dogs Turner came across during his time serving in Iraq and during a tour in Haiti. He said such experiences are the ones he wants to remember.

“For me, I think that having animals in my life at that time was really a saving grace and it reminded me what was important in life,” Turner said. “It doesn’t matter whether you believe in war, or you believe in peace, there’s these moments you have that kind of keep you whole and keep you from being completely lost in whatever it is you’re experiencing.”

He noted dogs continue to help him through harder days.

“I’m pretty in tune with my body and if I start to feel something coming, I do what I can,” he said. “Most of the time that involves the woods or a dog.”

VERGENNES RESIDENT AND U.S. Army veteran Ralph Torrey is pictured with his chopper in Vietnam, where he served as Crew Chief in the Razorbacks Armed Helicopters platoon in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He spoke at the recent Veterans Town Hall in Bristol.
Photo courtesy of razorbacksgunships.com

RALPH TORREY

Vergennes veteran Ralph Torrey also spoke at the Bristol town hall. Torrey enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968 and served as a helicopter crew chief during the Vietnam War.

He said the best piece of advice he ever received was to take his training seriously, a lesson he took to heart during basic training.

“I was like a sponge. I wanted to learn everything, I wanted to do it as well as I could,” Torrey said.

Torrey extended his tour in Vietnam twice. He noted his job as a helicopter crew chief included providing air support to ground forces, such as those needing help getting out of a difficult situation.

Torrey flew around 2,000 combat hours during his service. He was shot down once, after which his commanding officer told him he was off flight status.

“I was so angry with him because I wanted to (be out there) with my men and do what I was trained to do, but it was probably one of the nicest things anybody ever did for me and it’s why I’m here today telling that story,” Torrey said.

Torrey said his time serving taught him some important things, such as responsibility and camaraderie.

“I still talk to many of the people I served with. I still think of them as 20-somethings,” he said. “No blood relations, but we’re all family.”

He acknowledged that he also learned lessons he probably wishes he hadn’t.

“I learned how to have utter disregard for human life, and it was a defense mechanism,” Torrey said. “I was trained to think of the people that I was fighting as ‘the enemy,’ that was how they were referred to all through my training. They weren’t referred to as human beings or people; it was always ‘the enemy.’”

Torrey now serves as a volunteer at Josh’s House in Colchester, a wellness and recreation center for Vermont service members, according to the Josh Pallotta Fund’s website. The organization was established in honor of Joshua R. Pallotta, who served in the Vermont National Guard and was deployed to Afghanistan. Upon returning home, Pallotta struggled with physical injuries and Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). In 2014, he lost his battle with PTS and died of suicide.   

“The mission of (Josh’s House) is to end veterans suicide,” Torrey said. “It’s a very, very serious issue.”

Speakers at the Oct. 24 event highlighted other resources available to Vermont veterans, such as the Vermont Veterans Outreach Program, which aims to help veterans and their families access the benefits they’ve earned through their service.

To learn more about the program visit www.tinyurl.com/veteransoutreach.

STEVEN HEFFERENAN, A veteran of three decades in the Vermont Air National Guard, spoke at the recent Veterans Town Hall about his experiences serving two tours in Afghanistan.
Photo courtesy of Steven Heffernan

STEVEN HEFFERNAN

Another veteran who shared his experiences at the town hall was Bristol’s Steven Heffernan. He has served for more than 30 years in the Vermont Air National Guard as an explosive ordnance disposal tech, including two tours in Afghanistan.

Heffernan spoke of how someone’s service can impact loved ones back home.

“We’re out on the forefront fighting, and all I can think about is how I can keep my soldiers safe. You don’t think about what your family goes through back home,” he said. “They give as much as the soldier does.”

He shared with attendees some of the lessons he learned during his service.

“Your humanity is one of the first things that will go. When you see one of your people get hurt, it’s like ‘they did this to my men, they don’t matter,’ and they do,” he said. “I got to meet with a lot of villagers … and the worst thing is that 90% of the people are just like us. They just want to live; they want to grow a family and that. It’s that 10% that are either Al-Qaeda, or what have you, that don’t want you there that make trouble, and it’s very hard.”

JUSTIN SINKEVICH

Addison veteran Justin Sinkevich served five years in the United States Marine Corps. Talking at the town hall he highlighted the many challenges veterans face upon returning home.

“To call myself a veteran, I feel very proud of that,” he said. “What I see happening to our veterans nationwide — 22 a day committing suicide, homeless veterans — there should be no such thing as a homeless veteran.”

Sinkevich echoed other speakers in saying his service taught him lessons he now incorporates into his daily life.

“The Corps in a way helped shape me into who I am today,” he said. “Not that I’m saying I’m perfect, but sometimes you need a wakeup call to see things in a different way.”

The Bristol Vets Town Hall was one of several being held around the state this fall. A full list of upcoming town halls can be found at www.vtvetstownhall.org.