Vets Town Hall – Bristol 2024

All are invited to a Vets Town Hall at Holley Hall on Thursday, October 24th at 7pm in Bristol, Vermont. Veterans are invited to speak about what their service means to them. Non-veterans are encouraged to attend and listen. This event is non-political, and all perspectives are valued. There will be no debate on American foreign policy.

Please click here to RSVP. (RSVPs are optional, but encouraged.) Snacks will be available.

For all attendees: All community members are invited to this event. Only veterans will speak, but non-veterans are encouraged to attend and listen.

Throughout the event, you may hear something you agree or disagree with. You may have a question. Or you may want to say encouraging words with the intention to help. However, we ask that you please refrain from responding. We are simply here to listen and learn about what it was like to serve in the wars that this nation has chosen to fight.

For speakers: Tell us what your service means to you. Please tell us about your own experiences, whatever they may be, rather than speaking broadly about an issue or organization. You’re a member of our community, and it’s your stories, reflections, and insights that we’re anxious to hear.

Each veteran will be given up to 10 minutes to speak. (This time may vary somewhat depending on how many interested speakers we have.) Veterans who would like to speak can RSVP here. If you’re considering speaking but prefer not to register, we encourage you to attend. After pre-registered speakers go, the host will take speakers from the floor, time permitting. The goal is for every veteran who would like to speak to have a chance to do so.

Of course, veterans (and all community members) are also welcome to simply attend and listen.

If you’re interested in speaking but aren’t sure what to speak about, click here for some questions that can serve as starting points.

Directions & Parking
Holley Hall is right smack dab in the center of Bristol, at the one stop light, where Main Street (Rt 17/Rt 116) goes thru the village and North Street/South Street interescts it. Holley Hall is across the street from the Village Green park with gazebo. There is parking on Main Street and all around the park. (googlemap).

Accessibility
The venue is accessible. The accessible door fronts Main Street to the right of the large staircase that leads up into the hall.

Host, Local Organizers, and Community Partners

Jon Turner will host the event. Jon served with the Marines between 2003-2007 and deployed to Haiti, Fallujah and Ramadi, Iraq. Since his discharge, he has traveled extensively and worked with various communities to assist in the veteran reintegration process from paper-making to outdoor recreation and farming. In 2014, Jon began to utilize the agricultural landscape as a classroom for community members interested in resilient food systems through service learning projects, internships, and site visits for K-12, college students, and military veterans. Jon is the founding and former chair of the Vermont state chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition, recipient of the National Farm to School Innovations Grant, Sierra Club Military Outings Leader, and currently operates Wild Roots Community Farm in Bristol.

The Bristol Social Justice Discussion Group (our local organizer) meets monthly to learn about different topics that effect our community. Programs include speakers, books and films addressing human rights, discrimination, equity, and access to resources. They seek to create a neighborhood conversation where community members can learn and grow together. Though the group does not take collective action, they do encourage participants to reflect on what they’ve learned during the discussion and to consider What they might THINK ABOUT differently? And What they might DO differently? following each event.

Thank you to:

• Jon Turner, for hosting the event
• Bristol Recreation Department, the Bristol Social Justice Discussion Group, and the Lawrence Memorial Library, our venue sponsors and local event partners
• Cabot Cheese for providing snacks
• Vermont Veterans Outreach Program for attending and being available to provide peer support
• This event is supported in part by the Vermont Humanities. (Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Vermont Humanities or any other supporting organization.)
• …and the many individuals and organizations who have offered advice, feedback, and support