Our members stories
After Combat, Time Outside Saved Army Veteran Stacy Bare's Life
Bare, who served tours in Sarajevo and Iraq as a Captain in the U.S. Army, never doubted he would enlist. His uncle had been a green beret in Vietnam, and his grandfather, a Seabee in WWII. Raised in eastern South Dakota, Bare spent his childhood exploring Western and Midwestern landscapes, and learned the value of service early on, since “everyone had to pitch in” in his small town.
Member Stories: Geoff Bell, Army Vet, Helps Save Lives After Mandalay Bay Shooting in Las Vegas
“We were in the VIP section on the right side of the stage. I wasn’t concerned at first because the shots sounded really high-pitched, like a Black Cat firework, not like a gun at all,” Geoff remembers. “But then the guy beside us got shot and I knew that something was going on. He [Steven Paddock] shot off 10 rounds, then another 10 rounds, and then 20 rounds, and then it sounded like he went through like a 50 round belt or 100 rounds because it just kept going.
Member Stories: Sgt. Joshua Aaron Thompson, U.S. Army
Sgt. Joshua Aaron Thompson is currently serving and has been active in the United States Army for almost 5 years. He joined the Army in 2012 and has since served in Iraq, fighting terrorist organizations like ISIS in Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve.
United Airlines Captain David Fawcett Remembers 9/11 and Flight 93
This past Monday was the 16th anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks that shook our nation on September 11th, 2001. Veterans Advantage posted a Facebook update on the 11th in remembrance of the Americans that lost their lives that day, thanking the firefighters and police who courageously responded, as well as those servicemembers who have continued to fight to defend our freedoms each and every day since.
Member Stories: Lexy April Jaralba, United States Army Veteran
Army Veteran Lexy April Jaralba served for 7 years in Virginia, California, and Iraq as a Medic, earning the rank of Sergeant. She looks back on her military service as a character and confidence-building time of her life.
Member Stories: Will Jean Harney, WWII Army Veteran and Lifelong Army Reserve Member
Jean Harney Jones, of Morehead, Kentucky, wrote us this week to honor the story of her late father, Will Jean Harney, who served in the Army during WWII and spent his entire life as a service member in the Army Reserve 810 Convalescent Unit. “My father’s entire life centered around his service in the Army. It was where he made his best friends, bonded with his older brothers, and found a rewarding, lifelong career,” Jean told us.
Member Stories: Tom and Joan Kelley on Military Service, Tom's Medal of Honor, and Their New Book
Speaking with co-authors Tom and Joan Kelley, both decorated Navy Commanders, you imagine that the husband and wife writing team must have been together for a lifetime to cultivate such a strong bond. Surprisingly, they found each other relatively late in life. Married in 2005, the couple volunteers their story as proof that true love sometimes takes its sweet time. We sat down with them to discuss their newly-published book, The Siren’s Call and Second Chances, which chronicles how their tim
Member Stories: Thomas G. Kelley, Medal of Honor Recipient and Author
Veterans Advantage would like to highlight retired U.S. Navy Capt. Thomas Kelley, one of the many heroes gathering at the Medal of Honor Convention this September. However, Kelley would most likely prefer to not be recognized as a hero. Despite an illustrious, 30-year career in the U.S. Navy and a demonstration of heroism that earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor, Kelley's most prominent attribute is his humility.
Member Stories: After 40 Years, Ed Dyke Opens Up About Surviving 2 Deadly Assaults During WWII
"Those first days in the hospital, the pain was so bad I prayed that I’d die," Ed says. After three or four days, though, "I thanked God for not taking me."
Member Stories: Bernard Edelman, Vietnam Veteran, Learned of 9/11 in Vietnam
As I walk along the streets of the cities and villages in Vietnam, I feel totally safe. I never imagined I’d feel safer in Vietnam than in the streets of lower Manhattan.