Veterans Breakfast

Vision: A strong America, safe communities, and unified people.

Core values: Family, Community, and Country. 

This vision and value system belongs to the National Exchange Club, a group I did not know about until this autumn. There is a local chapter in Johnstown and members of Exchange were present for an honorary breakfast held at The Atrium on Main Street. I was proud to be a part of this morning and to hear some fascinating stories from those who served.

On this second Friday of December, I volunteered for the first time as a part of the Exchange Club. The Atrium, a personal care home, welcomed a group called the Veterans Breakfast Club to lead a program honoring local men and women with military stories to tell. It is a simple and brilliant premise. Get vets in the same room and give them an opportunity to speak. As the executive director of the breakfast club pointed out, it is one thing to read about war in a book; it is another to listen to someone who was in the fight.

My volunteer service was more about listening than anything else. I helped set up a microphone, but that took about ten seconds. From there, I sat back and sat down by some accomplished Americans; an Army man who loaded and unloaded ships off the Virginia Coast; a Korean war vet who was wheelchair bound, but determined to get back on his feet; a man who was born and raised in Prospect and served in Germany.

These one-on-one conversations led to the presentation. The room was full of military commitments - Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. There was some playful banter back and forth between branches. It gave me a sense of the mostly friendly rivalry between branches in the United States military.

The most impactful account was told by a Marine who served in Vietnam. He detailed the beginning of a 31-day battle that was the end of many American lives. The detail, pictures, and emotion in his voice made me appreciate true sacrifice. Minutes before his story, I was singing the National Anthem beside my buddy who loaded ships in the 1940s. I was honored to be surrounded by this brave collection of people.

The Veterans Breakfast Club planned on coming back to Johnstown in 2017. Based out of Pittsburgh, the group travels around the western part of the state to share a meal and stories. The Johnstown Exchange Club will hopefully grow and continue to support our local vets.

Family, Community, and Country. Simple words with a profound point.