AARP Wyoming Honors Veterans

Hi, I’m Jenn Baier. I’ve been with AARP for 20 years—four of those right here in Wyoming as your Outreach Director. While our tiny team of four PLUS 100 volunteers runs over 300 events yearly, we can honestly say that some of our most rewarding work comes from supporting veterans.

May is Military Appreciation Month, and this year also marks 50 years since the end of the Vietnam War. But as we’ve heard from so many veterans, just because the war ended on paper doesn’t mean it ended for them. For many veterans, especially those who served in Vietnam, the war didn’t end with the headlines. The welcome home wasn’t there. The recognition came late—if at all.

That’s why our recent Voyage of Valor trip to Washington, D.C. meant so much. We traveled with 16 Wyoming veterans to visit the national memorials and honor their service. Standing beside them at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, hearing their stories—it was powerful, healing, and long overdue.

At AARP Wyoming, honoring veterans is more than a holiday. It’s a commitment. You’ll see us at resource fairs- We’ve got one coming up in Laramie on Sunday, August 17th - veterans events - we’ll be in Dubois on May 24th at the Military Museum - community celebrations and even working behind the scenes to help veterans navigate benefits or find jobs. To learn more about AARP Wyoming events, visit aarp.org/wyevents. To learn more about our veteran's work and resources, visit aarp.org/veterans

And we’re not done.

If you know a veteran who deserves to be recognized—or has a meaningful wish we could help fulfill—please consider nominating them through Wish of a Lifetime from AARP.

Let’s keep doing this work in May and every day.

— Jenn Baier Outreach Director AARP Wyoming