Today was the annual Veteran's Symposium in El Paso, TX. My husband and I showed up about 2 hours into it and given my enjoyment of it, I was sorry we missed the first 2 hours.
Now, El Paso is a city, but being one of the most isolated cities in the U.S., without all the suburbs of most cities, it is in many ways it is a small town, especially in the veteran community. And, given all the volunteer work I have done in the veteran community, it was like ol' home week! With several rows of tables sharing information about their services - Steven Cohen Clinic (Endeavors), Military Veteran Peer Network (MVPN), DAV, and many more - from the first table to the last, I saw people I knew from each organization and got hugs and smiles that lit up my day! J.C. from MVPN put the symposium together, but was not the master of ceremonies. Instead, the gentleman who oversees the El Paso's VETalent Program from Prudential was the MC - a man I work closely with as he is the person I hand off our Workforce Opportunity Services veterans and spouses to when they are ready to be hired by Prudential. But the highlight of the day for me was Thom Tran. He is an actor, a comedian, and a veteran who has experienced the horrors of war and learned to cope with those horrors with laughter. His routine and words brought laughter and tears as we learned more about him and his experience, and how he overcame those experiences to become a man that helps the veteran community while making a wonderful living with his talent.
All in all, it was an amazing experience. If you don't know what it is like to surround yourself with veterans, you need to find a community of veterans and experience the camaraderie that is equal to none other. Find support. Find love. Find friendship. Find understanding. And may your experience be as wonderful as mine!
Now, El Paso is a city, but being one of the most isolated cities in the U.S., without all the suburbs of most cities, it is in many ways it is a small town, especially in the veteran community. And, given all the volunteer work I have done in the veteran community, it was like ol' home week! With several rows of tables sharing information about their services - Steven Cohen Clinic (Endeavors), Military Veteran Peer Network (MVPN), DAV, and many more - from the first table to the last, I saw people I knew from each organization and got hugs and smiles that lit up my day! J.C. from MVPN put the symposium together, but was not the master of ceremonies. Instead, the gentleman who oversees the El Paso's VETalent Program from Prudential was the MC - a man I work closely with as he is the person I hand off our Workforce Opportunity Services veterans and spouses to when they are ready to be hired by Prudential. But the highlight of the day for me was Thom Tran. He is an actor, a comedian, and a veteran who has experienced the horrors of war and learned to cope with those horrors with laughter. His routine and words brought laughter and tears as we learned more about him and his experience, and how he overcame those experiences to become a man that helps the veteran community while making a wonderful living with his talent.
All in all, it was an amazing experience. If you don't know what it is like to surround yourself with veterans, you need to find a community of veterans and experience the camaraderie that is equal to none other. Find support. Find love. Find friendship. Find understanding. And may your experience be as wonderful as mine!