On Saturday evening, Sept. 10, in Arlington, a very special Take A Vet To Lunch event happened. Take A Vet to Lunch is a non-profit organization founded by Bob Rawe of Stanwood.

Bob, a vet himself, started inviting service veterans to his home for lunch in January of this year. He was excited to take his program to a new and larger audience this summer in hopes of giving a lot more folks in the community the opportunity to take time out of their busy lives and show their support and appreciation to our veterans for their sacrifices and to say thank you. He was not disappointed.

The evening featured entertaining vets who talked about the sacrifice they gave freely for their country and the sacrifices their friends, family and loved ones also made. The evening had somber moments and moments of laughter and many memories of long ago.

We had a visit from Washington’s First Gentleman, Mr. Mike Gregoire, a staunch supporter of veterans’ rights and a Vietnam War veteran himself, from our own local community of Everett. We also were graced with the presence of a 96-year-old “newly wed” and veteran of WWII. That really touched my heart.

There was a special moment and a very special table reserved for our MIA and POW soldiers whom we keep in our hearts and our prayers always. I was particularly moved by this presentation and it brought back memories of the POWs I wore the silver bracelets for from 1967-1970.

Even in my teens I knew and felt a deep respect for our men and women in the military. Each branch of service had mention and I believe there were vets in attendance to represent each branch and each war from WWII forward including Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

You can bet we are on the list of hosts for next year and hope to help Bob make this event grow each year. Along the way, let our vets know that “Soldiers’ Angels” appreciate them and say thank you every day.

Unfortunately, my sister angel had a family emergency and was unable to attend but we were still a presence and were able to make ourselves known to Bob and family and a few others. We hope to be a support to his wonderful outreach in the future.

Visit Soldiers’ Angels at www.soldiersangels.com. Adopt a soldier because it feels good and it is a meaningful way to support our troops.

Don and Peggy McKay

Marysville