The Boston Globe: Veterans reach out about their needs, one town at a time
“War is one of the most unique experiences in the world, and it’s an experience that is incredibly hard to understand unless you’ve been there.” Vets Town Halls are intended to help bridge that gap. “It doesn’t matter if you’re liberal or conservative, gay or straight, rich or poor” in combat, Junger said. “And in…
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The Guardian: ‘A sacred space’: Sebastian Junger and Seth Moulton on Vets Town Hall
“In this ‘dire time of polarisation’, Junger said, Vets Town Hall might provide ‘kind of a sacred space. I’m an atheist, but I use the word sacred all the time. It’s a sacred space in the sense that ordinary life is suspended and here we are in this place, and we’re honoring something, and we’re…
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VTDigger: Bestselling author Sebastian Junger registers nonprofit for veterans in Vermont
By starting Vets Town Hall, Junger said, he hopes to reinforce the connection between veterans and their communities. “We are of one nation and we’re doing this together, and the people that actually pulled the triggers were sent there by us.” …[Fellow board member Jon] Turner said storytelling plays a central role in veterans’ events…
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Boston Globe: We need a new narrative for the Afghanistan War
Dan Vallone, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, writes, “We forge new narratives by challenging what we think we know about the war, not with facts, dates, and figures, but with stories: of hardship and lost friends; of triumphs small and profound; and of pride, confusion, anger, and alienation. We can begin by holding town…
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‘What it’s like to go to war’: Veterans share their stories of service, suffering, levity (Cape Cod Times)
HYANNIS — Tears streamed down Paula Smith’s face as she stood behind a podium, sharing her anguish over leaving her children when she served in Iraq in 2009. “I was so far away from my babies,” she said. “That was one thing I didn’t figure into my preparation for deployment. How would I make up the time that…
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Veterans Town Hall creates space for listening and learning
By Melissa Cooney, WCAX – Sep. 19, 2021 It takes courage to speak, it takes courage to listen. That’s the motto at the Vets Town Hall, which was hosted in Burlington Sunday afternoon. It’s the fourth and final event of its kind in Vermont this summer. At a town hall, all veterans are invited to…
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What Matters This Week: Jon Turner
Lauren Maloney talks with Jon Turner about the Vermont Vets Town Halls held throughout the state over the summer. Watch this piece here.
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Vets Town Halls return after pandemic with first event at Camp Meade
By Jennie Mull, Waterbury Roundabout The sweltering weekend heat and midday sunshine didn’t deter a dedicated collection of U.S. service veterans along with friends and community members from gathering recently on the lawn at Camp Meade in Middlesex for a unique storytelling event. Veterans and audience members sat before the stage in plastic adirondack chairs…
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Veterans share stories of service at town hall event
By Brianna Borghi, NBC5 – 6:20 PM EDT Jun 27, 2021 MIDDLESEX, Vt. — In Middlesex on Sunday, a town hall brought veterans and community members together to give vets an opportunity to share their experiences while serving our country. For some veterans, sharing their stories of service can be difficult. “What I’m trying to…
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Giving Back: Veterans Town Halls Encourage Sharing and Listening
“Each year, I’m floored by the generosity and courage of the speakers at this event, and heartened by seeing so many community members willing to come and listen, with warmth and non-judgment,” wrote Eaton after Sunday’s Town Hall. Marty McMahon, who hosted the St. Johnsbury event, said it opened a conversation between veterans and civilians. “We listened to a wide range of perspectives on service and laid the groundwork for some great community dialogue in St. Johnsbury and the area.”
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