By Jason Crane –
Roosevelt Legion Post 84 was a partner with Illinois Joining Forces to host Open Mic Veterans Town Hall following the Veterans Day parade in downtown Aurora Sunday, Nov. 11. The event was held at the David L. Pierce Art and History Center. The town hall was the first of its kind in the Midwest. a group of 36 stories and experiences from World War II veterans to Post-9/11 veterans according to a dozen veterans from different backgrounds and experiences with at least one thing in common: They wrote a blank check made payable to the United States of America for an amount up to and including their lives.
Veteran town halls are inspired by the book written by Sebastian Junger, entitled “Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging”.
The idea behind a veterans town hall is to give veterans of all wars a chance to address their communities directly and without intermediaries. As a veteran speaking at a town hall event, the veteran will address a crowd that includes everything from close friends and family to complete strangers. But these are the people the veteran risked his or her life for; these are the people they went to war for. No one goes to war and returns home unaffected. It’s not fair, or healthy, for veterans to be left alone with these burdens. They belong to all of us.
The event was solemn and non-political. There was not a question-and-answer period afterward. There was no debate on the merits or justifications of war. There was no recriminations or accusations. It was simply a chance for veterans to tell the community what it felt like to go to war.
Many vets. Others might be angry. Some might be crying too hard to speak.
Permission was required to quote the veterans.
Illinois Joining Forces is a public–private partnership established by a joint Illinois Department of Military Affairs and Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs effort. IJF strives to improve the quality of life for service members, veterans, and their families throughout the State.
Jaime Martinez, executive director of Illinois Joining Forces is a U. S. Army veteran who served in the Infantry for 26 years and participated in numerous deployments with significant combat experience.
“This is a way for veterans to be supported by their local community,” stated Martinez. “It is so important that our veterans connect with the community in which they live and share their experiences in a supportive and understanding environment.”
Martinez said they hope to expand to the town hall events to 15 communities in the near future.
Jim Dolan, senior director of development for Illinois Joining Forces has been a member of IJF since its inception in 2012 as the executive director of the Laurus Foundation and the co-founder of the Healer Warrior Initiative.
Abbie Holland Schmit, senior director of Illinois Women Veteran Programs, is a post 9/11 combat veteran whose transition served as the center-point of her ongoing advocacy on behalf of veterans and first-responders in the most issues facing Women Veterans of all generations.
Taylor Colliau, director of marketing and data analytics, is working to help veterans across the state gain access to resources and services to better assist in their transition from military to civilian life.
Carlos Luna, director of policy and grants, believes strongly in the potential of veterans’ ability to create lasting change and is set in utilizing that potential in empowering the city as a whole; because the veteran community is not isolated to one corner of the country, it is woven into every corner of it.
The Illinois Joining Forces Coordination Center Specialists are stationed at the Chicago Lighthouse thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Boeing Company. The Coordination Center staff members are capable of handling an array of challenges and are trained in level-one and level-two crisis management.
Michael Smith, coordination center specialist, is U.S. Navy veteran who served for eight years.
William E. Bryant III, coordination center specialist, is United States Marine Corps veteran who worked as a heavy equipment mechanic, 1982-1985.
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Jason Crane/The Voice