By Linn Ann Huntington
Ellis County Ministerial Alliance
For many people, celebrating the Fourth of July would be incomplete without fireworks.
But for many of America’s veterans, fireworks and the noise they create make the Fourth of July a painful experience. The “rockets’ red glare” and the accompanying booms can be difficult for veterans experiencing Post Traumatic Stress.
For that reason, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is hosting what it hopes will be the first annual “4th of July Veterans Retreat,” a celebration of the holiday without the noise.
St. Andrew’s, 2422 Hyacinth Ave., is a rural church located 12 miles west of Hays. The free retreat will take place there from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, July 4, and will include food, games, and a movie. Father Ben Houchen, the church’s pastor, described it as a “family friendly event.”
Obviously, it will not include fireworks. “We’ve even been talking to the neighbors in the area and asking them not to set off fireworks,” Houchen said.
Because parking is limited at the church, Houchen is asking attendees to take advantage of the free rides that will be offered via an Access van, which is being donated for the evening.
People are asked to RSVP to Houchen at (785) 259-2851, who will then tell them where the “bus stop” is in Hays and what times pickups will take place. The van will also bring people back to that bus stop at various times during the evening.
Volunteers will transport individuals in Hays who need rides to the bus stop. Volunteers from First Presbyterian Church, which Houchen also pastors, are providing food for the event, he said.
Women Who Lead, a philanthropic organization, is providing financial assistance to help pay for the van’s gasoline and is loaning out board games, card games, and outdoor games for the event, said Nancy Jeter, the group’s president.
This event has been in the works for three years, Houchen said. One of his other churches, St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, provides a free hot meal drive-thru ministry each Thursday night called Feeding Hays. He said he was talking to some of the veterans who utilize Feeding Hays one summer and casually asked them if they had a nice Fourth of July holiday.
“The majority of them said, ‘I am so happy it’s over,’ explaining that the fireworks and the noise were just too much,” Houchen said.
That’s when he got the idea for the retreat. A good friend, Susan Brown-Jones, stepped up to help. Then, this year, Women Who Lead (WWL) also got involved through its new Veterans Committee.
Due to all those efforts, Auman Company of Hays has donated an air conditioner to St. Andrew’s. WWL is trying to locate a generator to borrow to power up the air conditioner for the event. Since the rural church does not have indoor plumbing, ASC Portables of Hays has donated porta potties for this event. Houchen said wash basins will also be available.
Dottie Stabb of Hays co-chairs the WWL Veterans Committee, along with Michelle Springer. Both women are U.S. veterans.
Staab enlisted in the Air Force in June 1974 during the Vietnam War. She began her military training at Lackland Air force Base near San Antonio. Then she was transferred to Chanute Air Force Base near Rantoul, Ill., where she was trained in hydraulics and pneumatics as an aircraft mechanic. She completed her time in the service at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Staab says she suffers from PTSD “because of situations I faced while I served, not from combat but other situations that have started to begin surfacing. I am currently working with the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) to hopefully qualify for some counseling services and other benefits with issues from those experiences.”
She added, “I personally do know other veterans who have PTSD, triggered by fireworks, for one, fast movements, or noises heard behind them, etc. I share the effects of the fireworks or cars backfiring as I have attended events over the years.”
She said this is one of the reasons why she wanted to get involved with the Veterans Retreat. “I understand how many veterans suffer from various PTSD situations. The Fourth of July can really be very difficult for so many, especially for those veterans who have never shared or wanted to share any of their experiences.”
Staab said she also wanted to get involved because of her father, a World War II veteran. He received a Bronze Star, Silver Star, Purple Heart, D-Day Connection and other honors, Staab said.
“My dad was also my hero, and I honor him by continuing, as long as I am able, to honor veterans in any way I can.”