Story by Kevin Woodard
Central Illinois Veteran – Warriors hosted the first annual Veteran’s Fair at Keg Grove Brewing Company Tuesday afternoon and evening to provide area veterans a one stop shop to learn more about many of the support groups in the community ready to provide them service if desired or needed. According to their website, “The Central Illinois Veteran – Warriors is a veteran operated, non-profit organization that is built around the sport of hockey.” Keg Grove Brewery graciously made their parking lot available for the group to have the fair.
“In Flander’s Fields, the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard among the guns below.
In Flander’s Fields was written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae on May 3, 1915 during the First World War.
By Memorial Day 1922 the Veteran’s of Foreign War (VFW) conducted its first poppy distribution and the poppy was soon adopted as the memorial flower of the VFW as it remains today in the United States.
It is important that we pause at this time of year and honor our war dead.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Yet even though veterans have their own holiday on November 11th of each year our society tends to honor them on this traditional May weekend as well. And while we want to distinguish between the meanings of the holidays it seems proper and fitting to do this.
Perhaps that is why local veteran groups chose this weekend. Perhaps it was coincidence. Or maybe it was a sense of urgency felt by veterans themselves that given nicer spring weather it was necessary to get the word out that there is help available to their brothers in arms. You see, sometimes the problems veteran’s face are literally a matter of life and death themselves.
Patrick Schmid of Central Illinois Veteran – Warriors is the person responsible for this event happening.
According to Schmid, “This all kind of started with the idea and the situation of me and August who is with Marine for Life. A business got an application for a person looking for a job and they weren’t able to hire him, but he saw that he had been in the marines and he had an interest in adaptive sports and that business contacted both of us. And it was kind of like wow, we both need to help this person out … That’s what we are trying to do is so that veterans that do need help can get the help quicker and faster.”
Schmid continued, “It’s one of those things where ok maybe August doesn’t help with the sports but he goes oh hey Central Illinois Warriors, they help with adaptive sports and they help with therapeutic rehabilitation and can handle that job placement. And then it was just like well it seems like that would be a good way for all organizations to work together and network. This way no veteran feels like it is an uphill battle or anything. Get that contact information one time and they can get to the right person right away.”
Major August Christhill put it this way. “For these young guys just coming back, or coming out, it can be overwhelming in a lot of ways. The supports there but there’s so much of it, hey where do I start? So the Marine for Life program can help with that.” … There are just a number of different things and resources that we connect with them.
After talking with a number of service providers one theme became especially evident. And it’s a sad one. Unfortunately we are losing to many veterans to suicide. Many of the providers at Tuesday’s fair provide services that attempt to help with this. Central Illinois Veteran – Warriors is one of those.
Veterans often tend to isolate themselves and internalize their thoughts. If they don’s have strong family support or support from another group, such as a church for example, they can have a difficult time adjusting from military life to civilian life. That’s where a group like the Warriors comes into play. One of the best things a veteran can find is a group to be active with where they can receive physical, emotional and social benefits.
Another group at the fair was Outdoor Veteran’s. The organization was formed to serve veterans but soon learned they could serve first responders as well. This group provides activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, golf, disc golf and others to veteran’s, first responders and their families.
Founder Matthew Tribley stated, “Seeing the progression we are going toward in ending the suicide rate among veterans and first responders that’s what it’s all about. … It’s mainly when they get out they don’t fit in and it’s one of those things where they are trying to fill a void, a void that they had taken away from them. … There’s a brotherhood, a sisterhood they don’t have.”
Tribley continued, “Nothing is off the table. If somebody is going through something bad, someone has lived it. Or someone has dealt with it. And that’s what the best part is. Someone has dealt with it before you and we have the perfect resources.”
Sometimes the guide for the activity may also be a psychologist. So when a person opens up, as happens while doing outdoor activities, the guide is able to provide them with some good direction.
Groups like Gateway Family Services and Moraine View R & R provide similar types of activities for veterans. Gateway uses horses to help veterans heal. Moraine provides physical, mental, emotional and spiritual therapies.
Attending this fair became much more than a job assignment for this writer. The interviews I conducted, way too numerous and extensive to share in this limited space, became poignant conversations. I wish I could share the experience with you so you could feel what I felt but I fear that exceeds my writing capabilities.
Suffice it to say that we need to do all we can do to help our veterans. Given the problems they face what we do might save a life.
This Memorial Day weekend tends to remind all of us that our lives are limited. But we need to do what we can to help our veteran’s live longer fuller lives, even while we remember our war dead.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
