ATLANTA, GEORGIA
For weeks, Gary Sinese has been on the television talking about the Golden Corral Restaurants offering up a free meal to all Veterans on Monday, November 11, 2013, in partnership with the DAV. (Disabled American Veterans). As with all assignments we do at A Backpack Journalist, we always do a “pre-check” to make sure we are prepared to cover the assignment. This “pre-check” included visiting the local Golden Corral Restaurant and meeting with a member of the DAV Chapter 91 who was on that day setting up a table with DAV information and also resources and information for Veterans. His name? Walter Williams, the onsite coordinator. He was the responsible DAV member that organized all the on site DAV volunteers to make this a success, and as you will soon see, it was! He also shared with us the post cards ready to add special messages to the troops serving, to be filled out by any restaurant guest.
So we could imagine lines going out the door, and a restaurant filled up with people and a lot of great meals served. But 1030?
However, nothing prepared us for what we observed as the “real” benefits that this Golden Corral Restaurant and DAV – “free meal for a Veteran” offered those in attendance at this Atlanta location. And, we are certain that the staff at this restaurant and members of the DAV Chapter 91 were so busy making sure all Veterans and their families were thanked and treated with respect and also fed, that perhaps they missed seeing the positive impact and the true difference they made in the lives of so many of the Veterans and the youth who volunteered their time to serve tonight – that went beyond the meal served.
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 91
The Disabled American Veterans (DAV)Chapter 91 worked directly with the Atlanta location of this Golden Corral Restaurant. The DAV is known for their legacy of service and is the “most long-lasting veteran’s advocacy and assistance group in the United States.” This advocacy and assistance includes providing help with applications and forms that are required by the VA and other government agencies. Then there is the transportation program and help for the Homeless Veterans. There is also a considerable outreach program for JROTC. This Golden Corral Restaurant event is one of their major events during the year. DAV Post 91 had many volunteers in place throughout, helping the Veterans and guests in the line, passing out information cards on resources that support, and also asking if they needed any type of assistance.
DAV CHAPTER 91 members could best be described as “Knowing how to work a crowd!” DAV Post 91 Commander is Dr. Tincie Lynch. She is the first female commander of DAV Chapter 91. She was responsible for a Golden Corral in Douglasville, Duluth and the North DeKalb Mall location, which is where we visited. DAV Chapter 91 started this annual fundraising this year on Thursday, October 17, 2013. Today the veterans started to line up as early as 2:30 p.m.
The coordination of this Veteran’s Day event began years ago, with final preparations about two weeks ago with DAV Post 91.
‘We are all about helping the Veteran receive their entitlements and promoting awareness of the programs that support the Vets. “Val Green, Chairperson Publicity Committee, DAV Chapter 91. “We help the Veteran also get their forms and applications filled in, and our next project involves feeding the homeless Veteran and bringing together our community to help with health care issues. This Golden Corral night helps us reach more Veterans in one location, which supports our overall mission.”
Val seemed to never be found in one place as she kept working the lines, handing out stickers and making sure any question was answered. Val is a US Army Veteran also.
Chaplain Graham was the man in charge of bringing in the JROTC volunteers that helped support the service within the Golden Corral Restaurant.
“I just like helping out. It’s as much rewarding for me to help. I get calls all the time from people, who’d like us to help with a presentation of the colors at an event, help out a Vet, but this Golden Corral night is one of my favorites, and it’s a great one for the youth to experience!” said Chaplain Graham.
These JROTC young people came in uniform and were seen throughout the event, “serving and working hard”. Serving from greeting the Veterans and helping them to their tables to refreshing their drinks and even helping with taking their food to their tables and even clearing the tables!
Often we saw Mohammed running in and out of the kitchen area taking stacks of dishes!
Lithonia High School, NAVY JROTC, led by CWO Washington, with Pitts, Moye & Knight and then Decatur High School JROTC, led by Colonel Richards, with Blocha, Crosby, Suna, Frey, Mohammed, Jena, Richards, Williams.
Three of the young women from the Decatur High School JROTC (Elizabeth, Jenai and Jazmine) stopped for a few minutes and shared how much this serving meant to each of them.
“”We came to thank these Veterans for their service! So many of the Vets wanted to share with us their memories, and we started getting lots of advice from them.” said Elizabeth.
They would ask us what we wanted to do after we graduate from high school, and then they’d give us great advice and then tell us which branch of service to select!” said Jazmine.
“For me, well my Dad is a Veteran, I am proud of him and I just wanted to come. Serving tonight was a way for me to say thank you.” Jenai Richards (Dad, Decatur High School Director)
The Golden Corral Restaurant (www.goldencorral.com)
Golden Corral Restaurant that we visited sits at the corner of the shopping mall at Hwy 78 and N. Druid Hills. This mall houses lots of retail outlets, theater and plenty of parking. Tonight – it’s filled and the line of Veterans wrapped down and around and spilled over into the retail stores area. Best guess at the opening of the restaurant – perhaps 200 or more? By the closing, best guess is close to 1000 served!
The manager, Ken and staff clearly had a plan, and it was to handle those waiting in the lines with great respect and to make sure that they got a hot meal as quickly as possible.
Ken is a master of multi-tasking. He was seen checking the food line, cleaning up spilled food on the floors and then helping fill up small cups with tea. Often smiling, he shared “tonight is one of my favorite events that we have at Golden Corral. We enjoy serving the Veterans and seeing their faces. It’s our way of saying thanks!”
When asked if they had enough food, again a smile, and “yes!”
So how did they handle long lines? Nothing like a long line with waiting people to bring pause! So,
Ken and a group of the JROTC youth filled up small cups with tea, and out the youth went to pass out tea to those while they waited.
Seating was made easy by the greeter, Ms. Anita. She would ask, with a big smile: “how many in your party”. Geared up with a headset and connected to another Golden Corral staff member, she would guide each group of guests to their seats. However, when the Veterans would step forward and state: “just one or “me” and often holding up a finger showing one, she would smile and explain that in order to seat and serve, would they be ok sitting with another? She would then ask them if they would like to make a new friend or buddy? We observed many who would normally sit and eat alone, now sitting with other Veteran and engaged in conversation.
What a nice complement to this evening!
The Veterans
If one were to read the embroidered hats and the t-shirts or the jackets only, just about every conflict that the United States has been involved in since the World War II had Veterans represented. Even the Buffalo Soldiers had a few on site! The men outnumbered the women, and there is not one single word to describe what a “Veteran” looks like.
Just normal people, who volunteered, served our nation and protected our freedoms. A few had their medal pinned either on their hats, or vests, and frequently a Bronze Star would be seen. And, in one of the pictures with the DAV Chapter 91, you can see a Medal of Honor pinned on the pocket of the member.
The majority of the faces showed age, and some had to lean on a cane. They are Veterans, and without their contributions, not even sure, we would have had tonight! At one moment, as the crowd moved about between tables, chairs and the food area, it seemed appropriate that patriotic music was heard overhead, and then a few of the Veterans began a little gentle soft-shoe tap step!
It did not seem the time or place to interrupt the Veterans enjoying their meal and festivities with a “hey would you like to share your story?”
However, it’s not often that one gets to meet a survivor of the Battle at Chosin Reservoir, during the Korean War. There were 15,000 troops on the ground at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, and only 1500 survived. These brave American are credited with saving an entire generation of Koreans. (Note: GI FILM FESTIVAL- 2012 – a documentary Battle of Chosin was shown and announced that this documentary had been chosen to be converted into a major Hollywood film!)
Howard Moore, USAF assigned to the Marines, was part of the food service team that served the Combat Teams (15,000) for the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. Today, he lives in Atlanta to be close to his doctors at the Atlanta Veterans Hospital as he needed a warmer climate to help his health issues. So many of the survivors had serious frost bite on their feet, and still suffer today.
Mr. Moore spoke softly of his service, serving on the front at Chosin with the Marines, and “I never thought about tomorrow, it was just today! It was freezing cold. When the battle was over, I was with the medics, and waiting to be flown out. They took first the seriously wounded, and then us with the frost bite.”
Nicholas Blocha, a member of the JROTC from Decatur High School, stood close by as we visited with Mr.Moore. Looking up, Mr.Moore hesitated to share to much more but continued. “The hardest to forget, was all the death that we saw, both Chinese and Americans!”
Mr. Moore was accompanied to the Golden Corral by his neighbor, and as he started to leave, we collected his email address so that we could send him a few photos. So, we learned that Mr. Moore for many years has been a duplicate bridge player! He shared this with a big, wide grin!
Next year, perhaps we’ll hang around outside with voice recorders and permission forms and gather the stories while they wait in line and get the story, in between the distribution of the tea by the youth!
It was clear that this meal provided not only nourishment, but also a positive social experience that brought about well-being for not only the Veterans who came for a meal, but also to those serving them!
It was also about giving back, helping others and perhaps it’s like my Grandmother used to tell us all: “tis more blessed to give than to receive!”
Now, it’s a better world, observations by a Backpacker:
Kudos to the DAV Chapter 91, especially to Walter Williams for his pre-planning and organizational skills which were evident, and then Val Green for her energy and commitment to help Veterans and to Chaplain Graham for his “care and love of serving”, and to all of their leadership who stood by to help, provide resources and information,
Kudos to Ken, the manager of Golden Corral, for his constant smile, support that he provided to make this night special for so many Veterans. Even filling up small cups of tea made a difference! We loved watching him with the three youth following with trays and his supervision of the pouring of the tea into the cups.
Kudos to the staff members – especially to Anita, who helped those Veterans who came in alone – “ONE” who came just to “eat” – have social interaction with another. Who knows what long lasting benefits this has provided. Those serving the tables, not one did we see not smiling and watching the glasses to be sure all the drinks were filled. We did see a lot of prep cooks and servers working hard to make sure this meal was enjoyed.
Kudos to Cedric Richmond, a Veteran and guest, who spent time writing a special message to the troops deployed! We understand that Golden Corral plans on mailing all of these post cards shown!
Kudos to Colonel Richards and his team from Decatur High School (JROTC) who worked tonight serving the Veterans, often leaning in to listen to the stories and then to provide their own thanks! Especially to the young Nick who stood by and provided respect to the Chosin Veteran.
Kudos to CWO Washington and his team from Lithonia High School(Navy JROTC) who also worked and spent a lot of time with the lines, passing out the stickers and tea! All dressed in the Navy blues!
And a special thank you to Jeremiah and Yvonne. He and his wife (a second marriage for them both as they were both widowers) offered me a seat after about 2 hours of taking photos and writing down observations.
Why a special thank you? Jeremiah is a retired 28-year Decatur Policeman and a Veteran. He is a “Grady baby”. (You’d have to know that Grady Hospital is an Atlanta landmark health institution.) His favorite duty was when he manned the Crossing Area for the kids at schools. “It’s the kids I loved helping the most!” he stated. Today, he often hears a person yell out: “Hey Policeman McClinton, do you remember me?” Jeremiah still works today by the way – and trains dogs, and that’s how he and Yvonne met!
Yvonne, his wife, was sitting down at the front area waiting on Jeremiah to come through the line. She had just had surgery but was there to support Jeremiah. We learned a lot about life from this wise woman, her faith and she openly spoke of Jeremiah as she sat and waited! “What a gentlemen he is.!” They met because Yvonne had a dog she needed help with. She assured me that getting a dog was not a bad idea! Her son, a Veteran, has since passed and while she did not want to speak of it, she often did as the time went on.
So we see that following a sweet prayer over their dinner meal, Jeremiah does indeed take care of her and others! He quietly left the table and was off to find me a spoon for my coffee and I did not even ask. It’s always the simple things that mean the most isn’t it? Lovely dinner companions and brought a special close to our visit to honor Veterans, 2013 at Golden Corral Restaurant, N. Druid Hills and Hwy 78 with the DAV Chapter 91
See there, another unexpected outcome?
You go – Golden Corral Restaurants and the DAV Chapter 91! See you next year –and maybe this time we’ll bring lots more backpackers and hang around outside and gather up stories as the Veterans wait in line, while you provide the cups of tea!
By the way more pictures are available on our flickr.com/photos/backpackjournalist!