For some veterans, just spending time with others who also served in the military made for good company and a joyous Veterans Day, even if the celebration was a small one.
On Thursday, you could hear only laughter in the Onondaga County Community College’s Office of Veterans Affairs.
“While you’re in and even continued on while you’re out, there’s a community, an environment not everyone can understand, unless you did it,” said Nathaniel Sease, a Marine Corps veteran.
The college’s Veterans Day celebration was casual, with a handful of veterans in the office, though, all you needed was a few to feel a sense of community.
Sease spent some time without much support after his military service.
“I was trying to distance myself from the military,” he said. “I honestly don’t even know why that was my mentality, because once I started doing my work study here and hanging out with other vets, it helped with a lot of the stuff I was dealing with.”
The office made a big difference in his life. He says the small get togethers also make a big impact.
“Where everyone shows their appreciation in some shape way or form,” Sease said. “For some, it could be that little bit of hope that they needed to get on. For me, I’m celebrating Veterans Day not for me, but for the others.”
