Happy Veteran's Day and thank you to all the men and women who have selflessly sacrificed and served our country. As the stepdaughter and granddaughter of veterans, this day holds special meaning to me.
While working for a small town newspaper as their lead stringer, I met now Assemblyman Brian Bergen. Brian is a West Point graduate (Go Navy, Beat Army!) and the commander of VFW Post 2519 in Denville, New Jersey. We had talked briefly and he told me that he had hopes of capturing all the stories of the active, living members of his post. I told him that I'd be happy to help him out. After that conversation, it wasn't ever brought up again.
In 2017, I met with Brian again and we had agreed to start working on the book that he'd dreamed of. We had a brain storm session and as I left that day, I had a binder full of contact information of all the members of the post. This book would become a project that I didn't know would mean the world to me.
On the shelf at the Denville Township Library
As I got to work on the book for the Denville VFW Post, I fell in love with the project. From meeting World War II veterans, some of whom were the first to land at the D-Day Invasion in Normandy, to discussing life as a student at the United States Military Academy, this project opened my eyes to the military.
I traveled back and forth to Denville and the surrounding communities to interview as many these members as I could. We met at local coffee shops, the VFW Post, even in their homes. Many times as I was interviewing these veterans, they would start crying about their experiences in the war. I could see the passion in their eyes and the love for their country in their voices.
Through Shutterfly, I designed the book from cover to cover. Each veteran has a two page spread with information about their awards and medals, how long they were in the service, what branch they served in, and their stories of war. There is also a photo of each veteran that introduces the reader to who they are reading about. In the book, you'll also find the history of the VFW Post and a memorial section, honoring the members who had passed away prior to the writing of the book.
After finishing the book in late 2018, the book arrived at the post. I joined the guys at the post for lunch and saw my book for the first time. Each and every one of them was grateful for the book that I put together. I bonded with many of the guys as I wrote their stories and I'm forever grateful that I was chosen to be the author of this extra special book.
Dedicating my book to the Denville Township Library
In December 2019, I was elated when Bruce Patterson, a member of the Denville VFW Post, asked if I would accompany him to the township library to dedicate my book. The library was excited to house it and I was excited to see it within the ranks of the shelves in the reference section.
This book project was my first experience at becoming an author. I learned a lot about myself while writing this book. It taught me about hard work, the importance of never giving up on an interview source, and doing what's right. One thing that has stayed with me since writing the book was through the interview process. At the end of each interview with each veteran, I ended with the question "if you had to do it over again and go back into service for your country, would you?" Each and every veteran answered the same way "Yes."
While I have never served in the armed forces, I've seen first hand the experiences that war can leave on a person. My grandfather suffers from Parkinsons and many other diseases due to being exposed to Agent Orange while serving in the US Army in Vietnam. My stepdad has PTSD from serving in the US Navy during Operation Desert Storm. What they have both taught me is that you do what you have to do.
I've always loved Veteran's Day, at the beginning it was a day off from school. Now, it's a day that I treasure more than ever. I've gotten to know many veterans through my journalism career, wether that be for this book I wrote on veterans, visiting different memorials, historical sites, and old warships, or just interacting with them on the street. The men and women who serve in our armed forces are a special breed.
When it comes to writing, the stories of our soldiers, sailors, and airmen are some of the most critical. If you have veterans in your family, I urge you to listen when they speak, remember their stories, and encourage them to share. When they are gone, their stories go with them and they are lost forever.
Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have donned the uniform.
Signing off,
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