November is almost over, but that doesn't mean you can't get in your last-minute Call to Arms fundraisers and donations. Especially if you get to support a Supply Crate reaching one of our Veterans or an Active Duty Military member out there looking to relieve some stress through gaming.
Today's Supply Crate comes from a Veteran who wanted to nominate a friend who led his local Student Veteran Association. He told us all about him and his hard work in the following request:
This is a 3rd party nomination for a Vet I meet at PSU in Pittsburg KS. I've always been the reclusive type but he wasn't gonna stand for that. The taking one to know one thing meant that I wasn't able to hide my own chronic depression from him but that's also a two way street. We didn't serve together and I was Army Active and our paths would have never otherwise crossed. I also know better than to ask about deployment stories and the only one I recall him freely talking about involved being under fire from a larger opposition. They were required to have 550 cord securing their NODs to their gear. Whatever replaced LBEs. It was after my time. I don't recall the specifics but I believe they called in an air strike while returning fire. When his patrol got back to his unit, he'd said his NCO started to get on his ass about not having his NODs secured. It wasn't until then that they realized the paracord was still there but was severed by direct fire or ricochet. During the time spent at Pitt State, he'd joined the local Legion and Student Veterans Association becoming the org President the following semester or school year. It was an uphill battle to get funding from Allocations. I couldn't believe the percentage of my tuition was earmarked for the athletic programs, who did not have to present a case for themselves through Allocations. We did have one gig as security for one day of the Graduation Ceremony for $100 to the SGA account, which was more than we ever managed with fundraisers. Those were either, break even or a loss. The last one we did at the Legion with the public was mostly out of pocket. I'd used that months Post 9/11 BAH to get things that would occupy kids. We were basically there to entertain the youth so their folks could go do big kid things. I'd taken the no longer current but still visible photo on Google Maps with the fire truck out front but didn't showcase everything that day. He'd organized multiple volunteer efforts with the SGA members and the local Legion following the first female nation commander in the American Legion. It was work that needed done but her coming to the local unit was the kick in the ass to get it done. We pulled up the old tile, which meant restroom stalls and divider walls too, and put down floating laminate simulated wood flooring and gave the place a good 2 or 3 coats of new paint. The previous SGA faculty advisor was Old Army, I believe, but his replacement was not. I don't know the details leading up to it but he was strong armed out when the new advisor somehow selected who would be the organizational leadership and their titles. My guess is that it was related to a magazine article interview he'd been asked to do and said one of his biggest concerns was that he was simply trying to keep other vets from drinking alone in their basement. Politics care little for real life issues so this would not surprise me if this was the new advisors justification. I was no longer active in the org, dealing with my own issues. Since then, he's continued supporting the American Legion and his own personal mission of trying to help vets who've been shafted by the VA or are also dealing with depression and self harmful ideations. I've continued to decline in the last year or so following getting rear-ended in the turning lane on the highway now so I don't really keep up except over snapchat once in a while.
He's going to school and doing all of that? That's a good leader. What better way to take care of him after he's been taking of others than with a Supply Crate?
Here's the photo thank you all so much.
Nominate the Veterans you know folks! We want to get them some gaming care packages but can't know about them without you. Tell us everything you know about why they deserve one. Winterswolfcry sponsored this crate and we think you should let him know, that you know, that he does nice things.
Push the button. We dare you.
