When Kearns and his fellow soldiers landed at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County, Calif., in 1970, they were greeted by protesters who pelted them with rotten tomatoes, and when he arrived at the Cincinnati bus terminal — in his military uniform, his hands wrapped in bandages — two protesters spit on him.
As a way to help veterans deal with those emotions, and guide them through their military benefits, the Veterans Social Command in Middletown was established in 2009. The group started with seven members and met in a two-car garage, then in a meeting room in the Veterans Administration, but soon they outgrew those locations.
On Thursday, about 50 gathered at Mercy Point Church on Rufus Street, and Kearns has contact information for more than 100 veterans, mostly from Vietnam.
The veterans were there to eat lunch that was prepared by church staff, share military benefit information, but mostly for the camaraderie.
Several of the members have spent hours studying the myriad of rules and regulations that govern veterans’ benefits and at each meeting at least one person is available to complete the paperwork needed to enroll in the VA health care system or to begin the claims process, Kearns said.
“We care and we let them know,” said Kearns, who added three to five new veterans attend the weekly meetings. “Everyone of them has a problem. This is more of a camaraderie between a lot of different people. Here it’s more casual and we shoot the breeze. We talk about our experiences and we understand each other and it’s a safe place.”
Veteran Tom Karnes, one of the founders of the group, said those who attend the meetings are informed about benefits and how to fight appeals, and the members “combine our knowledge” to work as a team.
He has seen first-time attendees walk into a meeting with early signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He said the group has the power to get that veteran into treatment as soon as the next week. Most of those in the room are combat veterans.
“We have seen a lot of ugliness,” Karnes said. “We have been told, ‘Suck it up and keep moving.’ That carries with you the entire time.”
Pastor Jeff Marshall from Mercy Point said it’s important for his church, and all churches, to provide space for outreach programs in the community. Too often, he said, churches only ask for financial assistance instead of giving back to the community.
Marshall said every week he sees “a lot of healing” during the meetings.
“This gives them an opportunity to get out of their shell,” he said.
Vernon Brooks, 67, a former Marine who served from 1966-74, agreed. For him, the meetings are all about sharing experiences with soldiers who have fought the same fight.
“It’s hard to explain,” Brooks said.
Then he explained: “It’s like a brotherhood. You can talk about things you can’t talk to other people about. We all served together and went through the same things. It’s like one big family, really.”
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