DURHAM, N.C. - Veterans across several generations filled the North Carolina National Guard Armory in Durham, North Carolina, during the 27th Annual Bull City Stand Down, Sept. 19, 2014.
The event brought together veterans and organizations that provide services for veterans for a day of thanks for those who have served their country.
Some of the services included free haircuts, free basic dental, free law services to help veterans find lost records or file new disability claims, showers were provided, free clothing was given out, several veteran housing services were on hand for those who may be homeless and free financial services were provided.
In all, more than 80 venders set up in the Armory and across the street at the Durham County Memorial Stadium.
The North Carolina National Guard's 30th Special Troops Battalion, who is headquartered at the Armory in Durham, provided about a dozen Soldiers who helped block the street, directed traffic, assisted with vendor set up and were on hand during the event to provide support.
"The unit does a lot of the behind the scenes, our goal is to make sure there is safety involved. We assist with those who need physical help loading equipment or things they've been given," said Maj. Jim McVeigh, the battalion administrative officer for the 30th Special Troops Battalion. "Also we are here just trying to say thank you and reach out and talk to the veterans, for them to be recognized by some uniformed individuals. I think that is pretty special."
Sgt. 1st Class Leo Schnack, the readiness non-commissioned officer for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 30th BSB also thinks that the Bull City Stand Down is a great opportunity to reach out to local Veterans in need.
"I understand how it is to come back from a deployment and have the adjustment coming back and to me this is import because we're helping out the generations that came back that didn't have the opportunity and recourses we had coming back," Schnack said. "Being able to sit here and try to right some of the wrongs previously done is pretty important."
"I hope that we find those veterans who are having issues with housing, with employment, with their benefits and that they are able to put them in contact with the right people so it betters their life stand-point and they have a higher quality of life," he said. "It's not very often that you have all these resources and assets and the subject matter experts in these fields all together at once. It's a unique situation that they are able to do this."
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