Why Veterans’ Voices means so much to Me

By Rich Wangard



Three times a year I look eagerly into my mailbox for my issue of Veterans’ Voices.  It provides faith for me that there are people who honestly truly care about veterans.  People who volunteer hundreds upon hundreds of hours to make sure 100,000 copies of Veterans’ Voices gets to VA hospitals and Vet Centers throughout the nation and to subscribers and all authors.  Every single person is a volunteer except for one administrative administrator who o not make a great deal of money.



Years ago I had the great privilege of meeting many of these volunteers when I went to Kansas City to the World War I Museum for a Pen Celebration for Veterans’ Voices.



You see for eight years now I have been given the hance to express myself in writing.  To share what is on my mind without criticism, in my own time and space, to say whatever I want, to whoever I want.  Deeply personal and hoping to strike a chord with my fellow veteran.  Now thanks to Dr. Rubin, vets can express themselves through drawing and painting.  You will never find any advertisement in Veterans’ Voices.  They don’t sell any vet down the river!  All donors and donations keep this publication alive since 1952 and now Veterans’ Voices is an award-winning publication due to the hard work of those volunteers and donors who keep it alive and well, offering countless veterans a place for their traumas, fellowship, camaraderie, tears joy and humor.  Without such people who work year-round for veterans instead of waving a flag once a year, I ask you all – where would our veterans be?  Their time-their intelligence-their hard work-their organization-their multiple gifts-their empathy, all going to us veterans so we can share and make life a little more pleasant, a little mor easy, and in my case, to keep it together for just one more day and that is Why Veterans’ Voices Means so Much to Me!



Thank you, staff-officers-Board members, —I truly wonder if you comprehend the great difference your work makes!!!