BRATTLEBORO-Vets Town Hall, a Vermont-based nonprofit that works to increase understanding between veterans and civilians, is partnering with local organizations to host six events throughout the state this fall, including in Brattleboro on Sunday, Nov. 17, at American Legion Post 5 on Linden Street.
Veterans are invited to speak for up to 10 minutes each about what it was like to serve their country. Non-veterans are encouraged to attend and listen. The Brattleboro event, hosted by Norman VanCor and organized by the participants in the weekly American Legion Post 5 Tuesday coffee hour, starts at 1 p.m., with a potluck to follow.
According to organizers, Vets Town Halls are explicitly nonpolitical, and all perspectives are valued. Speakers are invited to share what their military service means to them and speak about their own experiences, whatever they may be.
"This invitation means that veterans may address why they joined the military or what it was like to leave it, their hardest day or what they miss, camaraderie or what it was like being separated from their family, or many other topics," organizers said in a news release.
VanCor, who will host the Brattleboro event, served in the Marine Corps from 1968–1971. His service brought him to Viet Nam from 1968–1969, as a radio operator in the Third Marine Division, Third Recon Battalion, Quang Tri (the most northerly base camp below the DMZ). He was awarded the Navy Cross and the Cross of Gallantry (S. Vietnamese highest military honor), among other decorations.
Back home in New England, VanCor worked for many years in senior positions at the Connecticut Light and Power Company and Yankee Energy System Inc. He is a corporator of Bradley Memorial Hospital, and an incorporator, president, and president emeritus of the Quinnipiac River Watershed Association, as well as an American Red Cross 30+ gallon blood donor, a certified master gardener, and an authorized interviewer for the Library of Congress "Veterans Living History Project."
VanCor is currently the chaplain of Brattleboro's Marine Corps League Detachment 798, and of American Legion Post 245 in Ashfield, Massachusetts. He retired to New Hampshire in 2013 with his wife, Elaine.
"Vets Town Halls offer communities an opportunity to come together to support local veterans," said Kristen Eaton, the organization's deputy director. "Each year I've found it heartening to sit with community members and listen to veterans share thoughtful, often surprising stories. And each year, I realize again how little we often know about our friends and neighbors - and how important it is to listen and to learn more."
Vets Town Hall is a nonprofit founded by author Sebastian Junger.
RSVPs at vtvetstownhall.org are optional but encouraged for all Vets Town Hall attendees. Veterans who would like to speak can indicate that when registering. Time permitting, veterans are also welcome to sign up to speak during the events themselves. Questions may be directed to Eaton at [email protected]. These events are supported in part by Vermont Humanities.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.