Bedford Township Veterans Center

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Micheal Troutt

March 29, 2019 by bedfordvetsadmin

My story starts years ago at the age of 18. I joined the service 3 days out of high school. Jumped on a plane and headed out to Fort Benning, Ga. I signed a contract to become an Army Ranger! I always wanted to be that guy coming out of the water covered in camouflage with the hat on and everything. I entered basic training and moved on to Advanced Individual Training, then off to Airborne school. After that RIP. How excited I was. Now, Ranger School. During school I tore my knee all to hell. Recycled, I waited as long as I could before I asked to be sent home and assigned to a different unit.

I was assigned to the 2/327th Infantry unit in Fort Campbell, KY. There I attended Air Assault school and met some of the greatest people in my life. While stationed there I got married to my high school sweetheart. Shortly after that I received a call saying Kuwait was invaded and it was time to go. I spent a year overseas in Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield. During this time, I became a father. What an incredible and exciting call I got on the sat phone. The first time I saw my son he was only a couple months old and the tears that fell were filled with joy.

During my time overseas in the Middle East I experienced tragedy and joy, brotherhood and anger, gained rank and loss rank, made friends and lost friends. To experience this at a young age was devastating. Watching your brothers taken away from a shoulder fired rocket was the last thing I ever thought I would ever see. Watching your brother scream out in pain that he can’t move because of piece of shrapnel is lodged into his shoulder and neck, another one gasping for air because of a lung punctured and collapsed, and yet another one standing there like a statue in shock with blood dripping out his forearm. I carried the only medic bag we had and having been the only one trained to use it was scary as hell; me having nothing to help with except gauze, tape, morphine and IV bags. The shock factor of this was far too great for a bunch of young men just trying to make it home and be what the world wants us to be. It wasn’t easy. I had to leave the Army; I was angry and didn’t understand what I had just gone through.

Years later, my anger and confusion led to my divorce. Seven years later I married again. Still not understanding and suffering from what I experienced, I fathered 2 more boys, and yet another divorce. Still drinking heavily at this time, I was pushed to Victory Gym from my girlfriend. This is where my life began to change.

I met Mike “Grunt” Emory, Founder of Victory Gym. He was an Army Sniper and who was suffering from similar issues. If not for meeting this man, I am willing to say I wouldn’t be here to write this. His vision of what we needed as soldiers but didn’t have was on point. A place to interact with the civilians that we no longer knew how to be. The vision of PEER-to-PEER counseling.  That is what saved my life, being able to talk to my brothers about what I have seen and done. What no one else understood.  I started hanging around more and more and became the volunteer coordinator and the C.O.O. Volunteering my time more and more. Thank you Grunt.

Mike introduced me to Jay Holly, Founder of Foundation 14. A Charity that supports Combat Veterans with PTSD. His approach was so unordinary, but it worked. His mission was to get Combat Veterans on motorcycles. “Wind Therapy,“ riding along with other like-minded individuals was a game changer. Trust me, it works. I have seen the difference in many, myself included. So much so that I gave the Foundation my other bike to help change another Veteran’s life.

During my time with Grunt and Jay I met so many wonderful people. They held events and spoke of issues that the world just doesn’t see. Unique ways to face them. Unconventional ways to battle them.  You are 2 incredible people doing incredible things.

At one of the Foundation 14 events I met the Director of Bedford Twp. Veterans Center, Tim FitzGerald. Now, this Veteran center is also a different breed. With a Food Pantry, helping with car assistance and providing awareness to the issues veterans are facing in today’s world. Tim saw how the gym was making a difference in our veterans’ lives and wanted to bring the same program to his center. I was able to help do this with the assistance of Jeremy Kurek and Joey “Cookie” Ratcliffe. These men help the program face issues of many different backgrounds and branches.

All these men have given me the strength to create an organization to go a little deeper into the issues we face day to day. A foundation of many other organizations combining their resources. Many of our veterans get lost in the system trying to find assistance. The assistance is there but many don’t know where to find it, how to get it and what they qualify for. Thus, the birth of Warrior Ethos Foundation. I was assisted by members of all the organizations above to bring this to life. Our mission is the Ethos! Always place the mission first, never accept defeat, never quit and I will never leave a fallen comrade behind. If we are able to connect with all the charities and private donors out there, we would be able to lead our veterans to where they need to go, who can help and who can’t. The combination of services would lead to many veterans getting the help they need through joint operations.

The reason and bottom line to all of this is that we can move mountains if we just combine forces. I want to thank everyone who has influenced my life and given me the strength to talk about what I fear, how I feel and how I got the help and drive that I now have. Don’t be afraid to attend a meeting; I know I was. I sat outside of the peer-to-peer meetings for two weeks straight before I went inside. I am glad I finally went in, the fear and reservation I had to attend a meeting and open up was real. The anxiety that I felt was crippling at times. No one understood me, nor did I understand them. The alcohol consumption was getting out of hand. I was drinking a 5th of alcohol a day, and the Opiates that the VA was subscribing was out of hand. I have been homeless a time or two between my divorces and sometimes during because I didn’t want to be home (if that makes sense) There is no other place I could have gone and gotten the answers I was looking for then Victory Gym and the Peer-to-Peer meetings they have. I am blessed to be able to bring this same outlook and approach to Bedford Twp. Veterans Center.

Thank you Mike “Grunt” Emory, Jay Holly, Tim FitzGerald, Bobby Mc Craight, Wade Raddatz SR, Emmanuel “Mano” Paravas, Andy “Bucky” Ammeraal, Eugene “Dingo”Simonescu and our brother Damion “Juggernaut” Rice may you rest in peace.

Filed Under: Testimonials Tagged With: Testimonial

I Don’t Want to Walk Without You

December 21, 2018 by bedfordvetsadmin

By: Joyce A. Harvey

From the time my daughter Jennifer was about three years old, she and I used to sing to each other a line from an old Barry Manilow song about not wanting to walk without each other. Instead of the word “baby” I would sing “Jenny” and she would simultaneously say “Mommy.” I was a single mom, and she an only child. It became our pledge to each other … our lifeline of support through some difficult years.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Inspirational Life Stories

Joyce Harvey

December 21, 2018 by bedfordvetsadmin

I wandered into the newly opened Bedford Twp. Veterans Center (BTVC). I had some new Vietnam era books to donate. A volunteer greeted me and graciously took the books. I asked if she needed help with anything and she asked me if I was good with spreadsheets. I told her I was, so she asked me to enter the information on the data sheets Veterans had turned in at the opening ceremony.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Testimonials

Blue Star Service Flags and Care Packages

April 26, 2018 by bedfordvetsadmin

The Blue Star Service flag is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense for display by families who have members serving in the Armed Forces during any period of war or hostilities the United States may be engaged in for the duration of such hostilities. [Read more…]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Blue Star Flag, Blue Star Mothers, Care Packages, Daughter, families, Michigan, Monroe, Parent, Son

Thank You Bedford Area Businesses!!!

April 11, 2018 by bedfordvetsadmin

Now that we have had a moment to take a long, deep breath from our past events, it is time to show our gratitude to all of our sponsors and donors and those who really stepped up to offer their time, talents, merchandise, services, food and financial support! Please consider patronizing these fine establishments and services, and show them how much you appreciate that they support local Veterans!

From both our Grand Opening event and our Survivor Dinner event, we wish to thank the following Bedford area businesses:

Catering

  • Costco
  • DaCapo Coffee
  • Howard's Meats & Deli
  • Jets Pizza
  • Quimby's
  • Sidelines Sports Eatery
  • Tim Hortons Lambertville
  • Tony's Country Store

Services

  • 180th Fighter Wing - Color Guard
  • Davis Tent and Table
  • Tony & Stephanie Marchese - Violinist and Singer
  • VFW Post 9656 - Honor Guard

 

Door Prizes

  • Ace Hardware
  • Andrew Gill Insurance
  • Anytime Fitness
  • ARCA Racing
  • Barry Bagels
  • Bedford Coney Island
  • Bedford Fire & Rescue
  • Brondes Ford
  • Buck & Knobby
  • Burger King Lambertville
  • Cabelas
  • Collin's Accounting
  • Creative Promotions
  • Doug's Repair
  • Fearless Fitness
  • Flicks
  • Foodtown Fresh Market
  • Forest View Lanes
  • Great Clips
  • Jay Foster Jewelers
  • Kara's Critter Care LLC
  • Kimberly Lane
  • Kroger Lambertville

 

  • Kurt's Lawn Care
  • Lambertville Hardware
  • Liquor Cabinet
  • Little Caesar's Pizza-Lambertville
  • Main Street Barber
  • Masserant's Feed & Grain
  • Michigan Gas Utilities
  • O'Reilly's Auto Parts
  • Pollick's Lawn and Landscaping
  • Reliance Gas
  • Smuckers Warehouse
  • Sommerset Bingo Hall
  • Splash Car Wash
  • Subway
  • Sunoco
  • Tim Hortons Lambertville
  • Todd's Guns LLC
  • Toledo Mudhens
  • Toledo Walleye
  • Value City Furniture
  • Village Pizza

If we missed anyone, please let us know so we can add you!!

With your support, we are able to keep our doors open and help our local Veterans directly get their needs met! We could not do it without you and we are forever grateful!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Grand Opening, Survivor Dinner, Thank You

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Welcome to the Bedford Township Veterans Center!

Please join us in honoring our Bedford Twp. Veterans

Bedford Township Veterans is a local non-profit outreach organization. We are the Bedford community organized to serve the needs of Bedford Veterans, Service Members and their families. Active, retired, reserve or guard you served us and Bedford serves Veterans. The Bedford Township Veterans Center is where to connect first. Located at the old post office in downtown Temperance we offer a wide range of services and a nice place to gather together and connect. Check regularly for events, participate in volunteer projects and please consider supporting financially. Individually we can only do so much but together we can support our own local Veterans and their families. The men and women who came to the aid of our nation when they were called upon, are a valuable resource to the country. If you want to build and enhance the dignity that all Veterans have earned by serving their country, the BTV Team encourages you to participate. Call today!

Contact Us!

Monday-Thursday 10AM - 4PM

(734) 224-7032

8020 Lewis Ave.
Temperance, MI 48182

Mission Statement

Every American who has lived throughout our country’s existence has enjoyed a unique and lasting freedom. A freedom to live the lifestyle that any citizen would desire. To pursue riches, God, a family, to chase youth or wisdom, and possibly an education.

There are also those who weren’t born in this country who have noticed the American dream and have become citizens. They have raised families, had careers, and enjoyed the success that hard work and determination will bring in this country. Read More>>

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Resource list of Military Charities, Organizations and Government Contacts.

Disclaimer: For informational purposes only. We cannot guarantee the validity of any of these websites or services. Read More>>

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Bedford Twp. Veterans is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit community outreach organization of neighbors coming together to serve the needs of our Military Veterans (active, retired, reserve, and guard), and their families residing in the greater Bedford Township, Michigan area.

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