Vets Town Hall – Bristol 2024

On Thursday, October 24th, 2024, at Holley Hall in Bristol, veterans were invited to speak about what their service means to them, and non-veterans were encouraged to attend and listen. This event was non-political, and all perspectives were/are valued.

Thank you so much to all of our speakers, attendees, and community partners at this wonderful event. We had about forty attendees total, and eight speakers, including many who chose to speak at the event itself. Veterans from different eras and branches shared a range of experiences with the community.

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