Patriot Island and the US Military Veteran's Center- Stacey Cardalines Reporting...

A good time was had by all at Patriot Island!

Staff Reporter • Thursday, November 11, 2010

    Every Veteran's Day, I am a sure bet to pop down to Patriot Island and the US Military Veteran's Center. You should do so as well....

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Patriot%20Island/205/110/30

My husband IRL is a veteran. He has been shot at on four continents. And while I'm a former urban high school teacher and have actually come closer to getting killed than he has, he still has had experiences that I, as a civilian, can't begin to hope to relate to.

Besides, I tend to get very immature when asking him about his experiences in the military. "What's it like to shoot someone? Could you see his facial expression? Have you ever broken someone's neck with your hands?" Yeah, that's about all the support he gets out of me. To be fair to me, he doesn't really seem to ask for/need much support... but a good wife still wants the best for him.

He tells me I'm worth it, if even only because I cook better than whatever poor bastard lost the bet and got potato-peeling duty. There may also be a sexual aspect to it, and I like to think that I'm fun to talk to and all that... but the Colonel (my husband, who was a sergeant, is known as The Colonel for reasons I won't go into here) has to go to the VFW to talk Shop with some other vets.

Now, he doesn't play with the computer much, and certainly doesn't play SL... but if he did, I'd be sure to steer him towards Patriot Island. Patriot Island is the home of the US Military Veteran's Center.

I actually went here last Veteran's Day, but I failed to notice their administrative center. I was just taking pictures of planes and everything. However, I was remiss in doing so. The actual Veteran's Center is a big office building chock full of stuff that may interest a veteran.

Here's a few things that might help the Virtual Vet.

- a link to the PTSD Support Group
- links to benefit programs for both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (which is a nice way to say "the Afghanistan War")
- a link to the Center For Woman Veterans
- an itemized list and a link to anything available at afterdeployment.com
- a link to the Department Of Veterans Affairs
- a link to the Directory Of Veteran and Military Services Organizations
- a link to Watchdog.org
- a very handy board full of Veterans Benefits By State
- Employment Resources for Veterans
- 1-800-273-TALK, which is a hotline for soldiers who don't have silly French wives to talk to.
- a link to the Bone Marrow donation people
- a free gift that I think (I never rezzed it- my apartment gives me 50 prims, max) is the Iwo Jima statue... you know, those 4 badasses putting up the flag.

They actually have more stuff, but a good writer leaves a few surprises for her readers. I will say that, if you don't visit Patriot Island this Veteran's Day, you are most likely some sort of pinko commie sympathizer.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Patriot%20Island/205/110/30