PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — On Nov. 16, the U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame is inviting veterans to the city of Hampton for its first Veterans Convention.
Local, regional and national veteran service organizations are ready to pour resources into the veteran community as they adapt to civilian life. Organization founder and Chaplain Curtis Drafton said only about 30% of veterans know how their benefits work when they come out of service.
“What we do is we make sure that they have those benefits, as well as the benefits in the community, such as therapists out there that want to help those veterans deal with anything from a TBI to PTSD,” Drafton said. “So anything that helps them, even employment, we’re going to have some affiliations there.”
The convention will be held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center (1610 Coliseum Dr.) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will be free to all veterans, with lunch included. Later that evening, the U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame will host its 5th annual induction ceremony from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Eight men and women of honorable service will be recognized.
“We’ll be inducting this year, a general who is now posthumous, Benjamin Earl Davis,” he said. “A lot of people don’t know the name, but General Davis is the reason why we have our speed limits on highways. You know, we’ll be inducting General [Charles F.] Bolden. General Bolden worked hand in hand with NASA for the very first cosmonaut mission to bring Russia and America together in space. Those kinds of stories are the ones that we look for.”
The U.S. Veterans Hall of Fame hopes to raise $100,000 this year toward veterans needs at this year’s ceremony. Notable past inductees include Gen. Colin Powell (posthumously), Pat Tillman and Rocky Bleier. To purchase tickets, visit here.
