Military veterans and their families are invited to come to the LaHarpe VFW Post today to discuss the current situation in Afghanistan or other issues.
The VFW will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for veterans to come and talk about their thoughts and feelings regarding Afghanistan, learn about the Veterans Administration program, or talk about any other issues, Terese Yetzbacher, service officer, said.
The event is organized in response to the current crisis in Afghanistan.
Several members of the military have discussed their feelings about the situation with her.
“A lot of veterans are angry,” she said.
The current situation doesn’t just affect veterans who served in Afghanistan, she said. Several veterans who served in Vietnam shared comparisons to the two conflicts.
“We did the same thing in Vietnam, the only thing is in Vietnam they had a plan to get civilians out first,” Yetzbacher said. “When you are in the military, you take care of your brothers and sisters. You don’t leave anyone behind.”
Saturday’s event will give them a chance to talk, share their experiences and feelings, and access resources if they need additional counseling or other services.
It will be limited to veterans and their families, to help them feel more comfortable discussing sensitive matters.
After the event, Yetzbacher will write a summary and assessment to send to Sen. Jerry Moran. She wants the senator to understand how veterans in Allen County feel about the situation. Moran is the Republican ranking member of the Veterans’ Affairs committee.
Other VFWs in the region have organized similar events, Yetzbacher said.
