Jerry Barnes estimated he spent three to four weeks writing a story relayed to him by a veteran who experienced warfare.

This timeline was spent transcribing the interview and arranging the information into a chapter. He attended a writing group in Roanoke. For some of the stories, that time may have been spent gaining feedback and insight from fellow club members.

Barnes was an Army veteran who understood the sacrifices made in warfare. His supervising officer during the Vietnam War discouraged Barnes from accompanying him to Vietnam. The officer, named Col. Adams in the book, died in Vietnam shortly after arrival when a helicopter he was in was shot down.

Barnes believed the officer saved his life. He’s dedicated a large portion of his time lately to help tell stories of fellow veterans.

Farmville father and son, Shane and Brandon Seaborn, are two of approximately 688,536 veterans in Virginia, according to a five-year estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau between the years 2013-2017.

Shane served in the Vietnam War, and Brandon served during Operation Phantom Fury in Iraq. Both have faced combat and have lost loved ones. Resilient can’t begin to describe their character both overseas and after coming home.

It took me a few weeks to write the article, I think in large part due to coming to terms with the painful details of the stories, and the fear of trivializing or inadequately describing what’s happened to them.

I think the largest takeaway from meeting Shane, Brandon and Jerry is the renewed understanding that veterans have experienced unspeakable loss, and have made incredible sacrifices to protect all of us. We as a society have a responsibility to provide an environment where everyone, particularly veterans, have the means to receive necessary physical and mental health care, and sustainable employment and housing.

We can start by supporting veteran organizations here at home.

The Piedmont Area Veterans Council (PAVC) is an incredible nonprofit that connects active duty service members, veterans and their families to services. The council serves residents in Prince Edward, Buckingham, Cumberland, Amelia, Charlotte, Lunenburg and Nottoway.

In 2018, veterans in the region received approximately $8 million from services provided by PAVC; in 2018 alone, Prince Edward County veterans received $1.1 million in compensation benefits.

The PAVC has a volunteer staff and provides all of its services to area veterans free of charge. To learn more about the PAVC, call (434) 392-4142, visit 820 Longwood Ave. or pavc23901.weebly.com.

EMILY HOLLINGSWORTH is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Emily.Hollingsworth@ FarmvilleHerald.com.