It was a day of pride and remembrance at the fair as they honored those who have served.
It was Veteran's Day at the Allen County Fair and hundreds showed up in observance. Each year, the Allen County Veterans Service Commission organizes a celebration where veterans from all branches and all eras get a chance to visit and reminisce about their time of service. Friday, those who received the purple heart were recognized and everyone heard about a new group for peer support.
"It's always good, I met some people I've never seen before and we have stuff in common to talk about. If this was just a group of random people it would be tougher to blend in," said Roger Schroder, a Purple Heart recipient and Vietnam veteran.
"Battle buddies is a term that we use in the military and we're there, we're not licensed mental health providers but we are volunteers and we have been trained in mental health to be a peer support specialist," commented Will Thompson, a veteran who served in Iraq and Purple Heart recipient.
The group is called Veterans Helping Veterans in the Allen County Area. You can contact them through any local veterans service agency. Their goal is to reduce the number of veterans committing suicide.
