Veterans at The Hamptons of Tyler Senior Living in southeast Tyler received a pin and a certificate from Heart to Heart Hospice. “During Vietnam, when we came home, we were not appreciated, and we were booed when we got off the planes, and spit on, and everything else, so it’s kind of good to come back and now have recognition for what we did,” Harwell said.
The center offers student veterans a place to study, connect and learn about available resources.
The Tyler Chamber of Commerce is thanking local veterans with a free lunch, gift bags and a ceremony, said Erin Whitney, co-chair of the chamber’s veterans committee.
Esther and Kevin Lohrke met in the Navy and later married. Both said they have had histories with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“It’s just learning to manage to deal with it, more so than curing it,” Kevin said.
He credited therapy, and those around him, with helping manage PTSD.
Master Sergeant Natalie Gorman, a 21-year Marine Corps veteran, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker.
“Veterans Day is more than a date on the calendar, it’s more than a ceremony or a flag or a moment of silence,” Gorman said. “It’s an opportunity to recognize the people behind the uniform.”