In December 2023 I had the chance to visit a Charitable Veterans Resource near the VA Minneapolis Hospital, called Every Third Saturday. I had enrolled in Yoga at the VA’s Center for Integrative Health & Healing (an article for another day). I had a need for some sweatpants so I took the bus to the Blue Line and got off at the VA Hospital Station at 1 Veterans Drive in Minneapolis. I walked through the acres of the parking lot there and walked down 54th Avenue to 43rd St, 5402 43rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55417, Map

Upon arrival there was a main desk with a man seated behind it. I had been told to bring some form of Veteran ID and I showed him my VA Identification Card (VIC) and he proceeded to make an Every Third Saturday Membership Card. It was completely free. I was photographed in my Packers Winter Jacket. On the card there is the US Army Seal on it indicating my branch of service.

I was given a ticket by the man behind the desk. Then a tall gentleman who came by (as seen in the video above), ripped the ticket in half and gave me the other half. I followed him to a room full of clothes and donated stuff. I mentioned to him I need some sweatpants for the Yoga class I signed up for.

He gave me a black garbage bag and we proceeded around the room stopping at different stages. He would ask me if I needed something. I said yes or no depending on what it was. I got a pair of sweatpants, but upon closer inspection they are warm-up pants for the MN Gophers Basketball team. At the knees they have a zipper that runs down to the ankle.  After about 20 minutes of saying yes to this and occasionally saying no I had a full garbage bag of stuff I needed and some stuff I didn’t know I needed.

I thanked them profusely.

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Understanding Those Who Serve in our Military

The US Military Active Duty and Veterans make up 1% of the US Population.  Serving in the military can be hard on a single Soldier, Airman, Marine, or Sailor as they are far from home facing challenges that are difficult physically, mentally, and often emotionally.  A different set of circumstances are faced for those who serve who are married and have children on base.  Many combat arms jobs can lead to high divorce rates.

Most civilians can’t relate to military service members as the culture and living conditions are quite divergent. Imagine living with your co-workers and bosses in the same building on base and even closer in the field. One doesn’t enjoy the same freedoms as civilians do. Your job doesn’t have finite hours like the civilian world either.  You don’t have freedom of speech, nor the option of wearing something different than the uniform of the day.

After separation from the military, also known as End Tour of Service (ETS), Vets can find it difficult to readjust to civilian life and find a job, housing, and operate as an individual. In Basic Training your individuality is stripped from you and replaced with a concern for the team and to complete missions.

Just thanking a Veteran for their service is not enough. you should ask them how they are doing and also if you can help them out. I say this because according to the Shawn Ryan Show Podcast, 44 Vets commit suicide every day. Your brief encounter with a Vet is important because you might be the last person they run into before they go and plan to kill themselves.

My name is Tom Polachek, and I’m a US Army Veteran from the Reagan Era.