for the people next door

Neighbor Radio · Listen together

Those Who Served

Veterans in their own words: Native veterans and a Gold Star father, a nurse calling home from Vietnam, sailors who earned their place, a general people asked not to work for, an officer welcomed at a sheik's table, and two veterans who waited a lifetime to marry.

About 19 minutes · Free, no sign-up

Before you press play

Good around Veterans Day or Memorial Day. If veterans are in the room, let them choose whether to speak.

Play it on a laptop or TV with the screen on, since most voices are short videos. Each neighbor is introduced by a short card. You can pause after any voice to talk.

Content notes. Native American veterans: A father speaks about his son killed in combat. A World War II Army bugler: Remembering soldiers who died. A young Army soldier from rural Georgia: A war zone.

Who you'll hear

  1. Native American veterans. Why we serve · Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian · 2 min
  2. A Navy veteran. If a man can do it · Veterans Health Administration · 2 min
  3. A World War II Army bugler. Taps across the valley · StoryCorps · 2 min
  4. An Army nurse in Vietnam, later a major general. Hello Mother, over · Veterans Health Administration · 1 min
  5. A young Army soldier from rural Georgia. A pound cake in a war zone · StoryCorps · 3 min
  6. A Korean American veteran of World War II and Korea. A promise made before battle · Discover Nikkei (Japanese American National Museum) · 1 min
  7. An Army Reserve veteran. An honored guest at the feast · Veterans Health Administration · 2 min
  8. A Navy veteran. I'm serving this country like you · Veterans Health Administration · 1 min
  9. A retired Air Force brigadier general. I'd work for you anyplace · Veterans Health Administration · 1 min
  10. Two veterans who married late in life. Married at the veterans home · StoryCorps · 2 min

The order rotates between plays, so no tradition always goes first.

Talk about it

  1. Which veteran's story stayed with you?
  2. Several women veterans describe not being recognized. Why might that be?
  3. What did service teach these neighbors about people who were different from them?
  4. If you know a veteran, what's one question you could ask them with real interest?

Let anyone pass. Listening is the point.

Try it this week

Ask one veteran you know, in person or by message, what they wish more people understood about coming home.

Read more: What's the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day? · neighborradio.com/ask/whats-the-difference-between-veterans-day-and-memorial-day/

Neighbor Radio is a free project of Hope for Americans. Every voice is a real neighbor telling their own story, played from the storyteller's own channel. neighborradio.com/radio/together/those-who-served/