Terry and I were talking on Thursday morning about some minor heart issues he was having. Terry is an 80-year old Marine Veteran. I am an 70-year old retired physician. He had questions, and I had some answers for him.

The subject of a defibrillator (AED) came up. Building Bridges Foundation did not have one at the Farm. With some of the Vets Café participants being older, this seemed a reasonable concern. Being a typical busy Thursday morning, I really didn’t think more about it that day.

Apparently, Terry did think more about it. He and Clyde – another regular at the Vets Café – got the ball rolling. Within about four weeks, Terry and Clyde and the other Veterans had raised $1,500 and purchased and mounted an AED at the Vets Café. Signed, sealed, and delivered by some pretty incredible people.

But that is not the end of the story. Several weeks later, our Air Force Veteran Peter – now a nurse – gave a 20-minute inservice on how to use the defibrillator, explaining the machine, as well as how and when to use it.

It was a beautiful thing to watch unfold. It also represents the nature of how these Veterans show their concern for each other.