ROSSFORD, Ohio — Handling the stress and anxiety of life is difficult for many, but veterans often have additional, unique problems. Perhaps it's as serious as post-traumatic stress disorder, but also many just don't feel comfortable talking with friends and family about their experiences in the service. That's where Veterans Unite comes in.
The local group of veterans began with a peer group at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to switch to meeting by Zoom.
Then, after their counselor left the V.A., the veterans had nowhere to turn. That's when Al Pinski stepped in.
Pinski owns and operates Interstate Lanes in Rossford, which has a wide open space where meeting could create less risk of spreading the virus. Once indoor mask mandates were dropped, the Vietnam Army veteran invited the others to join him every Thursday at 2 p.m. The group has taken off.
Pinski said the Veterans Unite is about sharing and communication.
"How we can work our way through the system and get help for each other physically and mentally?" he said "You’d be surprised because sometimes it can get very, very emotional. We have to understand what’s going on inside our veterans."
Bob Smithers was a Marine in Korea. At 91 years old, he gets it. There is a lot of hurt when veterans come back to society from war.
"Even though they appear to be doing just fine there are scars," he said. "Some of them don’t show till 70 or 80. It takes one thing to trigger one little something to happen and boom."
Smithers has observed it's not unusual for the group to get into some subject matter that will bring tears.
Veterans Unite invites anyone who served to come out at 2 p.m. on Thursdays at Interstate Lanes.
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