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Recently the Dare County Motorsports Charity Group hosted another spectacular event in Nags Head, which they do annually. Motorcycle enthusiasts were everywhere you turned! I heard wonderful things about the event (no surprise there) but something that tickled me was hearing that some of the bikers who visited our Dare County Veterans Advisory Council booth onsite not only received a “save the date” reminder card about “The Wall That Heals” coming to the Outer Banks this November 2023 but expressed interest in joining in the escort.

As you may know, once the 53-ft. truck that transports the 140 panels that display the names of the brave men and women who died while serving in Vietnam is unloaded, it transforms into an Education Center that features pictures, artifacts and memorabilia from the Vietnam War. Nearly everybody knows that bikers are super supportive of our Veterans and it’s no secret that many of them are Veterans themselves, so to escort the three-quarter replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. will entice us all to stand taller and tear up; it touches my heart and I can’t wait to experience the event.

I will no doubt hug, thank and welcome every Vietnam veteran who survived and came home as well as their loved ones who worried and prayed that they would. With reverence, I will frequently thank our Lord for every one that made it back home to the loving arms of their families … God bless them all.

Speaking of The Wall That Heals, remember that I mentioned a few weeks ago in Gig Line that because it is customary that the beautiful exhibit is attended 24 hours a day while it is here … we still need shifts from midnight to 4 a.m. That is a sleepy time for most of us, however if you are more of a night owl and could deal with helping during that period, the council and our The Wall That Heals Committee would be ever so grateful.

Patty O’Sullivan, Dare County veteran service officer, is also the chairperson who is overseeing this incredible event. She is extremely organized and she has prepared a volunteer spreadsheet that is thankfully filling in with names of people who care deeply about this pending display and who have signed up to help. If you can offer your time, please contact Patty at her office: (252) 475-5604 or her cell: (252) 473-7749. If you wish to communicate with her via email, it is: patricia.o’sullivan@darenc.gov. If you would prefer helping with another aspect of this incredibly special occasion, please let it be known. As a council member/secretary and committee member to help bring The Wall That Heals here, I can assure you that you will be greatly appreciated.

Reminder – as previously addressed, the upcoming Claims Clinic (where you can walk into the Dare County Recreation Center, no appointment necessary), at 602 Mustian Street in Kill Devil Hills on one of these specific days: Thursday, May 18, 2023 or Friday, May 19, 2023 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. or on Saturday, May 20, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. If you wish to investigate a potential V.A. claim for a service connected illness or medical condition; or if you have a pending claim already filed or if you have questions in general, please take the time to check the Claims Clinic out! Please bring your DD-214, your picture I.D. (preferably your driver’s license) and any medical records you have on hand. The result could mean a lot if your submission is approved. Don’t waste another minute – seriously! It could mean you are eligible to acquire disability compensation that would be financial help that is well deserved. Contact Patty at the above number(s) or email her at your earliest convenience prior to that time. She is eager to help you and your family and help expedite your claim application. If you can’t access your DD-214, go anyway and ask for Patty. While she is our dedicated Dare County veteran service officer (V.S.O.), she will be assisting in this special event hosted by the American Legion, Post 26 in Kill Devil Hills.

Another thing – if you could donate some of your time to assist with the Claims Clinic, they would much appreciate it. Perhaps you could greet and welcome the veterans who attend; direct them to the restrooms; or just help in whatever way their need is the greatest over that three-day period. Contact Patty (referenced above) to offer your help. And by the way … thank you in advance!

There is so much we can do for others in this hectic world so please don’t put off volunteering whenever you can. Needs are great, volunteers are often time in short supply and they are ALWAYS a blessing!

Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Dare Day, we will have a Veterans’ Advisory Council booth in downtown Manteo (every year) if you would like to stop by and see us! At that time, you could bring your DD-214; your driver’s license and proof of your Dare County residency either with a real property tax bill, lease agreement and/or a utility bill in your name at which time you could acquire your free Dare County Veteran Discount Card, entitling you to save money at 140 businesses from the extreme north to south ends of Dare County. Please note: we only review your records; we do NOT copy or keep them.

I thank our awesome Heavenly Father for His love; for listening to our prayers and acting on them accordingly but mostly I thank Him for His love, forgiveness and for His Son, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for spending time with me reading Gig Line; if you’re a veteran, thank you for your service to our country; and for your sacrifice. You are treasures … each one of you and I love you dearly. I miss the one true love of my life, my sweet husband Billy who moved into Heaven on July 12, 2016. I don’t forget for one single day how God brought us together and I will always praise Him for that. My U.S. Army – Vietnam veteran and hero – I will love deeply until my last breath … and I love you all too!

For previous Gig Line columns, please see www.giglineheroes.com and if you wish to call and chat or text me, my cell is: (252) 202-2058 and my email address: giglineheroes@aol.com.

Until next time, be healthy, safe and happy. Love everybody like you truly mean it. Life is precious and life is short – use it every day to embrace life and those around you. Stay tuned!

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