Richard Reuer

Minot

On the morning of Tuesday, March 19th at 0730 a small group of veterans were able to attend a new breakfast for veterans program hosted by the staff of the Veterans Counseling Services Center. We were a small group of veterans, mostly Vietnam veterans and one Korean. I was neither, as I didn’t enter until after Vietnam in 1976 with the United States Marine Corps.

The setting was great with a biscuit and gravy style breakfast and coffee or water. The conversation around the table were stories of what we did while serving our country and the laughters that came out from those in attendance was like being among family, which really when veterans get together is like (Brotherhood).

I believe the one highlight of our being there, was when one of the staff members walked in and seeing the great time we were having and I spoke up and said “We’re fellowshipping. Don’t to you see the sign on the door ‘Fellowship Hall’, which really there was nothing noted on the door, but brought laughter again among us.

I don’t know if the Honoring Those Who Served-Ministry breakfast group, which I and a few other veterans are responsible for getting the word out through the Minot Daily News about our breakfast group meeting on the 4th Saturday mornings at 0800 at the Homesteaders. We have been meeting since last April 2018 with a small group of 5 and we are now up to 20. Our group also includes spouses and those who wanted to serve their country, but due to certain standards that kept them from joining (having flat feet, medical condition, and etc.) we are accepting them into our breakfast group as one of us.

Information about our breakfast group was sent out to various Assisted Living Facility to invite their veterans to join us once a month for breakfast at the Homesteaders. I believe through this invite gave Dawn Anderson, Executive Director the vision to open the Wellington Assisted Living Facility to serve breakfast to veterans outside of the Wellington program. And so this past January 2019, the Wellington Assisted Living Facility decided to open their doors to serving breakfast to all veterans within our community, those active, retired or honorably discharged.

And now, the staff members of the Veterans Counseling Services Center have caught the vision from the Wellington, and have decided to duplicate this program and schedule a monthly breakfast group at their facility for the 3rd Tuesday of the months.

The other day I had mentioned to my brother about these veterans breakfast groups springing up. Saying to him, “Soon it will be like how the churches in our community have worked together in putting together their soup kitchen programs.”

One great thing I find in both the soup kitchen programs and now the veterans breakfast groups the importance of having great fellowship, for I’m sure there are those who may attend any of these events, do not have close connections with their families or even a good support group system. A place that they feel safe and can really enjoy the company of others.

So, thank you Wellington and Veterans Center for catching our vision and hope others will follow the same.

I don’t want to forget that there are two veterans coffee groups that meet monthly. One is on the 2nd Monday night at 7 p.m. held at Our Redeemers and the second one is held bi-monthly on a Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Ward County Courthouse in the Veterans Room on the main floor, sponsored by the DAV Chapter.

So, if you have or are serving our great country and want to get out and meet other veterans, then add these that I have mentioned on your calendar, even if you can attend one a month, that really counts the most, for we all need each other no matter what. We are our own best family member because we always take care of our own.

God bless our Troops and our Veterans of all eras of Wars and Conflicts and God bless America!