Our mission is to help bring public
awareness and attention to issues currently affecting our veterans,
military and their families, while also helping provide resources and
information to those in attendance to help one-another through
outreach. Everyone is welcome to participate, we are nonpartisan, you
do not have to be a veteran, we just ask
that everyone is respectful of one-another and their ideas to help.
We've
invited various groups, organizations and individuals to attend, if
you're reading this and would like to attend or learn more about what's
going on please feel free to do so. We are a diverse, non-partisan
group of all ages, from all backgrounds and walks of life.
Veterans
United March is a nonpartisan/grassroots event this Saturday,
October 6th 2018 at Luther Ely Smith Square/Park (Between the Old
Courthouse and the Arch) in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. The
march/walk will start at 12pm. For those unable to walk the distance of
the march we encourage you to bring a lawn
chair if needed. There are some benches throughout the grounds, but if
you need to sit please feel free to bring a lawn chair. We are hoping
to bring awareness to issues
affecting veterans, military, and their families, while also providing
information as an outreach to help one-another. There are Detailed maps
on the "Maps page" of where we will be at, there is a flag pole near
area "5" marked on the PDF map from the National Park Service.
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/156601678416543/
We will begin the march at 12pm/noon. We have
invited different veterans groups to
be in attendance, some have prior commitments this year, others are
showing up and hoping to network with the other veterans in attendance.
At our HQ there will be tables
to help provide information to those who may need it, some may not be
able to
physically march that far either and that is not necessary to
attend/support, there will be some who stay at the park while others
march,
there are a few benches, but lawn chairs are recommended if needed. We
will also have some individuals who will
remain at our HQ after the
march. We have invited different Veterans organizations,
commissions and groups to help assist those who need help and or
information, and also provide information about joining an
organization, volunteering, or if someone needs help. We have no
corporate sponsors, or anything else, we are simply a small group of
veterans trying to organize and help one another.
We've also started a nonprofit organization 501 (c)(3) "Camp Zulu" www.campzulu.org
to provide support and outreach for children of veterans with a
service-connected injury. One of the ways Camp Zulu will help others is
by providing outings to fun activities, one of which will be a week of
fun adventures and while making new friends and good memories. When a
veteran or servicemember has PTSD or a
physical disability it can affect the whole family, especially if the
family has no support network, or the kids don't know anyone else who
has a mom or dad who has a military service connected disability such
as a panic or anxiety attack, is just one example. Or
if the parent is young but was injured and has trouble physically doing
things other
parents their age can. I would love to see the kids have a really
awesome camp were there is fun things to do for the whole family, the
only difference would be the kids would have someone their
own age they can relate to, or they feel understands what it's like to
have a parent affected. We'd like to get ideas/feedback from other
veterans input on it as well, as none of us
experience the same exact things or scenerios with our families. There
will be a table
at the Veterans United March rally point/Luther Ely Smith park by the
St. Louis Arch. On the table will be a container for ideas and
thoughts, and there will be paper and pens so that you can place ideas
in the container, this is open to everyone as we appreciate all ideas
and suggestions.
Various links to information affecting veterans,
military, and their families. There's just a few listed as we're in the
process of finding a way to put all the stories we find in one place
without them causing so much clutter, but while still providing
information to those reading.
http://www.campzulu.org
Another thing I would love to see happen and become a positive thing, is to share ideas about making a Camp for kiddos of Veterans with PTSD and TBI. Maybe like a Summer camp for a week. Most kids of Service Connected service members don't have any other kid that understands what they're going through.
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treatment/children/pro_child_parent_ptsd.asp
None of the kids at school and so forth. They tend to blame themselves alot as they get older. Some kids have the jump startle reflex, and pick up alot of the Anxiety and other things from the affected Veteran parent or parents. Even when you try to do everything in your power to give your kiddos a normal life, this still seems to happen, each to a different degree as PTSD affects us all differently.
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/family/children-of-vets-adults-ptsd.asp