Vets Town Hall
The NVMM and Vets Town Hall, co-founded by Sebastian Junger, invite community members to an inspiring Vets Town Hall event. Veterans of any era who served in any capacity are invited to stand before their community and speak for up to ten minutes about what it was like to serve their country. Both Veterans and non-Veterans are encouraged to attend and listen.
This event is non-political, and all perspectives are valued. There will be no question-and-answer period or debate on American foreign policy. Attendees will simply listen and learn about what it was like to serve our country.
The Vets Town Hall is free to attend, and snacks will be provided.
If you are a Veteran interested in speaking, please contact Meagan McGowan at mmcgowan@nationalvmm.org to register.
At a Vets Town Hall event, Veterans of any era who served in any capacity have the right to stand before their community and speak for up to ten minutes about what it was like to serve their country.
Some speakers may be proud, others may be angry, and a few may be crying too hard to speak. But those feelings should be processed by the entire nation, rather than just by veterans themselves. Vets Town Hall events are a way to start making that happen.
This is not a political event. War is an inherently divisive topic, but the important conversation around how and when our nation goes to war has no place in a Vets Town Hall.
There are no “activists” or “patriots” at these events; no “liberals” or “conservatives.” There are just Veterans who are willing to speak openly about their experiences, and community members who are willing to listen. Do not underestimate the incredible power of that process.
Seth Moulton, in collaboration with Sebastian Junger, brought a first-of-its-kind veterans event to Massachusetts on Veterans Day, November 11th, 2015. Since then, dozens of town hall events have been held across the country. These events are community forums aiming to establish greater understanding between local Veterans and the friends and neighbors they served.
Sebastian Junger is the bestselling author of War, about American soldiers in Afghanistan’s infamous Korengal Valley, as well as Tribe, about their struggles adjusting to life back home. His documentary Restrepo - which he shot, directed and produced with photojournalist Tim Hetherington – won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar the following year. Junger remains committed to helping veterans and is the originator of Vets Town Halls. At a Vets Town Hall, veterans of any era who served in any capacity have the right to stand before their community and speak for up to ten minutes about what it was like to serve their country. These events are non-political, and all perspectives are valued. His most recent book is Freedom.
