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 The mission statement reads, “To ensure the memory of,
and support to, those who serve through Welcome Home
Veterans Living Military Museum at Richard's Coffee Shop”.
While the mission statement is simple and the concept to
carry forward the core values of Honor, Respect, Duty, and
Love of country is a noble task, I would be unable to tell
the story of Welcome Home Veterans, in a single article. To
those who come every Saturday morning and show up on
Thursdays for the commradery and free coffee, Richard's
Coffee Shop is far more than a hang-out for a “bunch of old
Veterans” to sit around and tell war stories. To each and
every one I spoke with Saturday morning, there is no glory
in old war stories only lessons to be learned and a prayer
that they never have to be re-lived by our children and
grandchildren.
Welcome Home Veterans (a 501-c-3,
nonprofit foundation) is so much more than what one might
first guess, particularly those who have never donned a
uniform in defense of our country. A passive observer might
think Richard's Coffee Shop is a neat place with a lot of
war relics adorning the walls (as well as many of the
veteran-relics who pack every square inch of floor and table
space). It's almost hallowed ground and gave me the same
sense of prided and yet humbleness I felt when I first saw
The Wall in Washington DC. Such bravery, honor, and
greatness that only those who have served will ever know.
There were many in the military, who like me, never
faced enemy fire, and who carry a feeling of guilt that
others did, but that we were spared and placed in some other
military slot in support of the real heroes, both living and
dead. I have learned to live with those feelings through the
support of those who did get the call to action; they taught
me that no team can fight without adequate support at all
levels. War is a team effort and unlike war portrayed by
Hollywood, with its leading superstar-hero, every veteran
plays his or her part. Richard's brings out that feeling of
being a part of The Band of Brothers made famous by the
acclaimed eight-part, war epic of Easy Company and their
trek across Europe to defeat Germany.
As I now sit at my computer writing about my first experience at
Richard's I noted on my calendar that I have a date to be back next
Thursday morning to discuss ways I can participate, but also ways we
can develop the Richard's Coffee Shop idea in other parts of the
country. As I noted, Richard's isn't a hang-out, but can be more
aptly described as an ideal setting that can provide counseling and
guidance to those returning warriors who are lost somewhere between
going someplace and lost. Those who know they don't want to go back
to war, but not knowing where to turn to find out why they just
don't have all the “marbles collected” to enable them to function in
civilian life.
At Richards, I could feel the infinite
support available from the knowledgeable minds of those who have not
only talked the talked but walked the walk, not some psychiatric
pinheads who learned everything they need to know from classes
taught by other pinheads that learned all they ever needed to know
from books. Richard's is real life, no phonies, just the kinds of
people who collectively have all the answers and a down home way of
getting their message across. Richard's is the answer for post
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling; it's the home of
“guidance counseling” (I.e. operation manual) of how to navigate the
Veteran's Administration bureaucratic maze; and guardian angel for
those who have no place else to turn. At Richard's you know quickly
that if you're a veteran, “You ain't heavy, you're our brother”.
So how can I find a way to lend my help; my knowledge of doing
grand projects both nationally and internationally for nearly two
decades for those in need; my experience of being a development
director/coordinator with the National Guard International Bureau;
and my ability to put thoughts into words; and how can we take this
phenomenal vehicle across the country to provide the veteran support
every community needs . Can we answer the call to solve the homeless
veteran's problem? Can we improve the veteran's access to veteran's
benefits through mentoring? Can we provide ongoing one-on-one and
group counseling to those needing help for PTSD? And can we continue
raising the public's awareness that FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE by
instilling new meaning in Veteran's and Memorial Days?
By Ed Mattson
Copyright 2011
Reprinted from Veterans Today
About Author: Following his service in the Marine Corps Ed Mattson built a diverse career in business in both sales and marketing and management. He is a published author and medical research specialist. He is currently Development Director of the National Guard Bureau of International Affairs-State Partnership Program, Fundraising Coordinator for the Warrior2Citizen Project, and Managing Partner of Center-Point Consultants in North Carolina. Mr. Mattson is a noted speaker and has addressed more than 3000 audiences in 42 states and 5 foreign countries. He has been awarded the Order of the Sword by American Cancer Society, is a Rotarian Paul Harris Fellow and appeared on more than 15 radio and television talk-shows.
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