At a Vets Town Hall event, veterans of any era who served in any capacity have the right to stand before their community and speak for up to ten minutes about what it was like to serve their country.
Some speakers may be proud, others may be angry and a few may be crying too hard to speak. But those feelings should processed by the entire nation, rather than just by veterans themselves. Vets Town Hall events are a way to start making that happen.
This is not a political event. War is an inherently divisive topic, but the important conversation around how and when our nation goes to war has no place in a Vets Town Hall.
There are no “activists” or “patriots” at these events; no “liberals” or “conservatives.” There are just veterans who are willing to speak openly about their experiences, and community members who are willing to listen.
Do not underestimate the incredible power of that process.
Seth Moulton, in collaboration with Sebastian Junger, brought a first-of-its-kind veterans event to Massachusetts on Veterans Day, November 11th, 2015. Since then, dozens of town hall events have been held across the country. These events are community forums aiming to establish greater understanding between local veterans and the friends and neighbors they served.