CCLT

Before service:
“I’ll just wing it.”

After service:
Creates three backup plans, scans exits automatically, carries snacks “just in case,” and somehow turns caffeine into a personality trait.

Some changes are funny, some are difficult, and most become part of survival, leadership, responsibility, and adaptation.

The reality is this:
Service changes people, but not always negatively. However, often it is permanent.

This week we are honoring our veterans, our first responders, those currently serving in the armed forces with our campaign. If you like what you see, please feel free to donate to our cause as we are 100% volunteer operated.

Memorial Day reminds us about the ultimate sacrifices people have taken in the name of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Some may have died in vein—others may have died a hero’s worth. It is our legacy to carry on their names, their stories, and their memory. Therefore, for the next few weeks we will be honoring our veterans, our first responders, those currently serving in the armed forces with our campaign. If you like what you see, please feel free to donate to our cause as we are 100% volunteer operated.

To some people, it is just an old pair of boots. To someone else, those boots walked through freezing mornings, impossible conversations, long shifts, deployments, hospital hallways, fire scenes, grief, survival, and responsibility.

Objects absorb memory.
A coffee mug.
A radio.
A challenge coin.
A notebook.
A uniform shirt still hanging in the closet.

Sometimes the smallest objects carry the heaviest stories.

Memorial Day reminds us about the ultimate sacrifices people have taken in the name of freedom, liberty, and justice for all. Some may have died in vein—others may have died a hero’s worth. It is our legacy to carry on their names, their stories, and their memory. Therefore, for the next few weeks we will be honoring our veterans, our first responders, those currently serving in the armed forces with our campaign. If you like what you see, please feel free to donate to our cause as we are 100% volunteer operated.

To some people, it is just an old pair of boots. To someone else, those boots walked through freezing mornings, impossible conversations, long shifts, deployments, hospital hallways, fire scenes, grief, survival, and responsibility.

Objects absorb memory.
A coffee mug.
A radio.
A challenge coin.
A notebook.
A uniform shirt still hanging in the closet.

Sometimes the smallest objects carry the heaviest stories.

This Memorial Day, the names of the 820 Orange County men and women who gave their lives in service to this nation will be read aloud at the Orange County Veterans Memorial in the City of Newburgh.

The ceremony will take place on Monday, May 25 at 3:00 PM at Leroy Place between Grand Avenue and Liberty Street, Town of Newburgh, NY 12550.

Reading these names matters. It reminds us that freedom is not abstract, history is not distant, and sacrifice was carried by real people with families, dreams, fears, and futures. To speak their names aloud is to ensure they are not reduced to numbers, forgotten by time, or lost beneath the noise of everyday life.

These names represent those lost during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the post-9/11 era. Their sacrifice deserves to be remembered, spoken, and honored.

This event is open to the public. Parking is available along Balmville Road.

Post 973 John T. Kenney Post

Please, re-share this post and spread the word. If you wish to be tagged in this post, just ask.

City of Newburgh 105th Airlift Wing West Point - The U.S. Military Academy Town of Newburgh PBA Town of Newburgh Emergency Medical Services Town of Newburgh Police Department Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Paul S. Ernenwein

💙 MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH 💙

Mental health affects every family, every community, and every branch of service. Yet far too many people continue to suffer in silence because of fear, stigma, shame, or feeling like they have to “push through.”

This month, let’s remind one another that asking for help is not weakness — it is courage.

Check in on your friends.
Listen without judgment.
Lead with compassion.
Speak up when someone is struggling.
And never underestimate the power of simply being there.

To anyone fighting battles others cannot see:
You matter.
Your life matters.
And you are not alone.

Together, we can continue breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and help create a culture where people feel safe reaching out before it is too late.

💙 Reach Out. Check In. Save a Life.

Need to talk to someone? Call COPLine open to first responders, veterans, and those currently serving. 💙