Elizabethton veteran gives back to ‘brothers, sisters’ at VA

By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

Inspired by the kindness of Red Coat Ambassadors at the Veterans Administration Medical Center at Mountain Home, an Elizabethton veteran recently donated $20,000 to programs at the facility.

Red Coat Ambassadors greet veterans, their families, and caregivers, and help them find their way around what can seem to be a maze of hallways, buildings, and offices related to their VA benefits.

But it was the volunteers’ dedication to raising money to meet veterans’ needs by selling popcorn that touched 75-year-old Louie Greene’s heart.

“They stand on their feet for five or six hours out of a day, selling popcorn to make a little extra money for my brothers and my sisters,” Greene said, explaining that the money from the popcorn sales goes into a fund that helps when “some veterans in the facility need a little something extra” that VA benefits do not cover.

Greene spent four years in the Air Force – he was an aerial photographer – and 18 years in the National Guard. The veteran said he had “a little loose change,” and asked himself, “Well, what can I do for my brothers and my sisters?”

“So that’s what I did,” he said. “I gave. I gave $20,000.”

Center for Development and Civic Engagement Chief Kevin Jones said Greene directed $10,000 of his donation to the Community Living Center, where veterans may stay for a short time or, in rare instances, for the rest of their lives. It offers a nursing home level of care, help with daily living, and skilled nursing and medical care. The other $10,000 is directed to the Center for Development and Civic Engagement General-Purpose Fund.

“This country’s been good to me and I’m just trying to return a few favors,” Greene said.

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