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Getting to Know One of Michigan's Veterans on Veterans Day
Michigan has nearly 700,000 veterans residing in the state. They represent seven hundred thousand unique stories, perspectives, and experiences serving in our armed forces to protect our country. The Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran program aims to help service members and veterans in Michigan make the transition from military to civilian life by connecting them with trained veterans who volunteer their time to help their comrades. Since the program's development in 2009, Volunteer Veterans have helped over 2,000 service members and veterans in Michigan.
Get to know the story of one of Buddy-to-Buddy's Volunteer Veterans working to help his fellow veterans in Michigan:
[caption id="attachment_1972" align="alignright" width="135"]
Ron Springer[/caption]
What is your name?
Ron Springer
Tell us a little about you. Where did you grow up? Tell us a little about your military career.
I grew up in East Lansing, Michigan. I joined the Army with two friends. We thought with two years of college, we would be made clerks and then come home to take advantage of GI Bill benefits. Things didn"t work out that way. One of my friends ended up getting high blood pressure, so he got a deferment. My other friend became a Military Police officer in Korea and I became an Infantryman in Vietnam. Did camaraderie play a big role in your military service? I enjoy being with people so yes camaraderie played a big role. When you go through difficult training sessions or a deployment, you tend to gravitate towards those who had similar experiences. Did you ever deploy? If so, what was deployment like? I deployed to Vietnam in April of 1971. I was an Infantry Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant and for about 10 days an acting Platoon Leader. Our AO (area of operation) was one of the better ones. People died in our general area but not in my platoon while I was there. What is one memory you have of military life that has stuck with you? [caption id="attachment_1973" align="alignright" width="174"]
Ron Springer's Military Corner[/caption]
The hurry up and wait and the ever changing orders and rumors. We endured a lot of that in the Infantry, usually it seemed, in the rain.
What was your proudest moment in your military career?
I had a good relationship with my last Company Commander.
In 2004, 33 years after I returned home, I reconnected with my Captain. We corresponded by email and in October 2004; he invited me to spend a week with him in Colorado. We had a ball! How was your transition from military to civilian life? Did you encounter any roadblocks? Did you have a good support system?
My transition was pretty fast. I enrolled back in college in the fall of 1971 and graduated from Michigan State University in 1975. I had a good support system and I really don"t recall many roadblocks. What are some challenges you see other veterans having when they transition to civilian life?
Life gets more difficult each year. Veterans have more difficulty getting jobs. Life is just more complicated than it was when I got out, with cell phones, internet, Facebook, and all these additional external demands on your time and life. Life is faster-paced and not slowing down. What would you say to a veteran who needs help but doesn"t know how to ask for it?
Try asking a Volunteer Veteran. You will be surprised how much they will help you. In many cases, you might even be amazed. What made you decide to become a Volunteer Veteran with the Buddy-to-Buddy Program?
I liked the idea of assisting soldiers. It makes me feel younger than I am. How did you hear about Buddy-to-Buddy?
I was in Grand Rapids for my military reunion in late 2012 and I saw soldiers mingling with people wearing Buddy-to-Buddy shirts in the hotel where we were staying. I went up and asked what the Buddy-to-Buddy program was and next thing I knew I was taking the orientation class. Tell us about a time you assisted a service member or veteran as a Volunteer Veteran. What was the experience like?
One of the most memorable times I assisted someone was when I was assisting a specific Veteran with several complex issues. Just after they went through the hassle of getting one car fixed, their other car died. They were in dire straits. I happened to mention the situation to a former coworker who asked how much was needed to get them a car. I told him and the next thing I knew, he said his company would donate the money. When I told the spouse, it was one of the most moving experiences of my life. What is the value of having a program like Buddy-to-Buddy? The value is that Veterans know there is a group of men and women who want to help, no strings attached. The other benefit that comes out of this program is that relationships and networking that snowballs. It isn"t you and the Veteran, against the "proverbial" world. It's you, AND the Veteran, AND your Buddy to Buddy Volunteer Veteran AND the Buddy-to-Buddy network against the world. [caption id="attachment_1975" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Ron Springer attends Buddy-to-Buddy's annual Volunteer Recognition Event[/caption]
Do you think it's important for veterans to help other veterans?
Yes, and greatly so. Veterans can relate to other Veterans as the age gap isn"t as large as you might think it is. A buddy of mine from Vietnam and I took two Iraq Veterans to dinner once. We swapped stories and at the end of the night, the Operation Iraq War Veterans told us their stories and we realized our stories were basically the same, only the technology was different. We were 30 years apart in age.
What does Veterans' Day mean to you? What are your plans for November 11?
Veterans' Day means more and more as the years go on. I try to make sure I connect with the younger Veterans because that didn"t happen when I came home from Vietnam. I start the day having breakfast with a group of Veterans. I leave that function and go to a middle school and talk about the meaning of Veterans' Day for the 15th straight year. In the afternoon I will be carrying my Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post Flag in a parade in a little town near me. As I tell the middle school students, I blur Veterans Day with Memorial Day and use it as another excuse to remember ALL of our Veterans, those that made it home and those that didn"t. That thought is with me every day of the year.
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program is a non-profit program part of the University of Michigan Depression Center's M-SPAN suite of programs providing support to military service members, veterans, and their families. For more information, visit www.buddytobuddy.org or www.facebook.com/BuddytoBuddyProgram.
Ron Springer[/caption]
What is your name?
Ron Springer
Tell us a little about you. Where did you grow up? Tell us a little about your military career.I grew up in East Lansing, Michigan. I joined the Army with two friends. We thought with two years of college, we would be made clerks and then come home to take advantage of GI Bill benefits. Things didn"t work out that way. One of my friends ended up getting high blood pressure, so he got a deferment. My other friend became a Military Police officer in Korea and I became an Infantryman in Vietnam. Did camaraderie play a big role in your military service? I enjoy being with people so yes camaraderie played a big role. When you go through difficult training sessions or a deployment, you tend to gravitate towards those who had similar experiences. Did you ever deploy? If so, what was deployment like? I deployed to Vietnam in April of 1971. I was an Infantry Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant and for about 10 days an acting Platoon Leader. Our AO (area of operation) was one of the better ones. People died in our general area but not in my platoon while I was there. What is one memory you have of military life that has stuck with you? [caption id="attachment_1973" align="alignright" width="174"]
Ron Springer's Military Corner[/caption]
The hurry up and wait and the ever changing orders and rumors. We endured a lot of that in the Infantry, usually it seemed, in the rain.
What was your proudest moment in your military career?I had a good relationship with my last Company Commander.
In 2004, 33 years after I returned home, I reconnected with my Captain. We corresponded by email and in October 2004; he invited me to spend a week with him in Colorado. We had a ball! How was your transition from military to civilian life? Did you encounter any roadblocks? Did you have a good support system?
My transition was pretty fast. I enrolled back in college in the fall of 1971 and graduated from Michigan State University in 1975. I had a good support system and I really don"t recall many roadblocks. What are some challenges you see other veterans having when they transition to civilian life?
Life gets more difficult each year. Veterans have more difficulty getting jobs. Life is just more complicated than it was when I got out, with cell phones, internet, Facebook, and all these additional external demands on your time and life. Life is faster-paced and not slowing down. What would you say to a veteran who needs help but doesn"t know how to ask for it?
Try asking a Volunteer Veteran. You will be surprised how much they will help you. In many cases, you might even be amazed. What made you decide to become a Volunteer Veteran with the Buddy-to-Buddy Program?
I liked the idea of assisting soldiers. It makes me feel younger than I am. How did you hear about Buddy-to-Buddy?
I was in Grand Rapids for my military reunion in late 2012 and I saw soldiers mingling with people wearing Buddy-to-Buddy shirts in the hotel where we were staying. I went up and asked what the Buddy-to-Buddy program was and next thing I knew I was taking the orientation class. Tell us about a time you assisted a service member or veteran as a Volunteer Veteran. What was the experience like?
One of the most memorable times I assisted someone was when I was assisting a specific Veteran with several complex issues. Just after they went through the hassle of getting one car fixed, their other car died. They were in dire straits. I happened to mention the situation to a former coworker who asked how much was needed to get them a car. I told him and the next thing I knew, he said his company would donate the money. When I told the spouse, it was one of the most moving experiences of my life. What is the value of having a program like Buddy-to-Buddy? The value is that Veterans know there is a group of men and women who want to help, no strings attached. The other benefit that comes out of this program is that relationships and networking that snowballs. It isn"t you and the Veteran, against the "proverbial" world. It's you, AND the Veteran, AND your Buddy to Buddy Volunteer Veteran AND the Buddy-to-Buddy network against the world. [caption id="attachment_1975" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Ron Springer attends Buddy-to-Buddy's annual Volunteer Recognition Event[/caption]
Do you think it's important for veterans to help other veterans?
Yes, and greatly so. Veterans can relate to other Veterans as the age gap isn"t as large as you might think it is. A buddy of mine from Vietnam and I took two Iraq Veterans to dinner once. We swapped stories and at the end of the night, the Operation Iraq War Veterans told us their stories and we realized our stories were basically the same, only the technology was different. We were 30 years apart in age.
What does Veterans' Day mean to you? What are your plans for November 11?Veterans' Day means more and more as the years go on. I try to make sure I connect with the younger Veterans because that didn"t happen when I came home from Vietnam. I start the day having breakfast with a group of Veterans. I leave that function and go to a middle school and talk about the meaning of Veterans' Day for the 15th straight year. In the afternoon I will be carrying my Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post Flag in a parade in a little town near me. As I tell the middle school students, I blur Veterans Day with Memorial Day and use it as another excuse to remember ALL of our Veterans, those that made it home and those that didn"t. That thought is with me every day of the year.
Buddy-to-Buddy Volunteer Veteran Program is a non-profit program part of the University of Michigan Depression Center's M-SPAN suite of programs providing support to military service members, veterans, and their families. For more information, visit www.buddytobuddy.org or www.facebook.com/BuddytoBuddyProgram.