During your military service, you volunteered to defend the Constitution of the United States and to protect our American way of life, all around the globe. Then, you trained and prepared for war. Many of you suffered through horrible conflicts in jungles, mountains, and deserts, fighting our Country’s battles and protecting freedom all over the world. At the same time, you were separated from your family members for months and years at a time, you and your family moved repeatedly, and you all made countless other sacrifices.

After 9/11, less than 7% of our American population has served in the Active Duty military. 7% of Americans, who protect the other 93%. Many citizens, many in the other 93%, do not understand your commitment and your sacrifice. AH4NC recognizes what you have done, and we honor you for your service.

George Washington epitomized all of our service members – “Citizen-Soldiers” as he called them – who live by convictions and who selflessly serve our country in times of peace and war. George Washington praised those in the military as the example citizens, who return from their military service to serve as exemplary citizens.

Now, after your military service, AH4NC encourages you to become engaged in your community! Leverage the discipline, commitment, training, and leadership, which you learned in the military, to become a leader in your civilian community. Become a Citizen-Soldier, someone who becomes a model citizen by applying their military discipline and training to every task in their civilian roles.

American Heroes for North Carolina honors all American Military Veterans. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. You are all HEROES! Thank you for your commitment and for all the sacrifices you made to serve our Country. You and your family gave up many of your own freedoms to protect the freedoms of all other Americans.

When you are in the military, you may see combat. You may have been on missions that exposed you to horrible and life-threatening experiences. These types of events can lead to PTSD. PTSD affects our military Veterans. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reports that the number of Veterans with PTSD varies by service era. For example:

Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF): About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year.
Gulf War (Desert Storm): About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year.
Vietnam War: About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans (or 15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 (or 30%) of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime.

Other factors in a combat situation can add more stress to an already stressful situation. This may contribute to PTSD and other mental health problems. These factors include what you do in the war, the politics around the war, where the war is fought, and the type of enemy you face.

Another cause of PTSD in the military can be military sexual trauma (MST). This is any sexual harassment or sexual assault that occurs while you are in the military. MST can happen to both men and women and can occur during peacetime, training, or war.”

We have several partner organizations, all over the country, who can HELP. If you have suffered from PTSD or MST, or if you know someone who will benefit from these services, please contact us immediately.

American Heroes for North Carolina

Our Mission

American Heroes for North Carolina's mission is to engage Veterans in leadership and service throughout North Carolina and to celebrate the contributions and the success of Military Veterans in our local communities.

Our vision is to help create and sustain North Carolina communities so that Veterans are welcomed and engaged, creating stronger communities through the infusion of Veteran leadership and service.

We strive to educate the community about the importance of supporting our veterans and about the value our veterans bring to our community. Also, we strive to educate veterans about their post-military opportunities and to encourage them to return to the Triad, NC area to live, work, and play.

Our Leadership

Board of Directors

MG Al Aycock, USA (Ret.)
Andy Backus, COL USA (Ret.)
Chris Beckert, COL USA (Ret.)
Lee Boone
BGen Norm Cooling, USMC (Ret.)

Glenn Gonzales
Jim Hoffman
Mary Ann Hoffman
Vernon Lesser
Rob O’Hanlon

Mick Reed
Tyler Ross
Stephen Shaw
Cory Spoor
Frank Thomas, 1SG, USA (Ret.)

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They Served Us, Now It's Our Turn

Our Veterans put everything on the line to protect our freedom. We may never be able to repay them for their sacrifice, but we can show them just how much we appreciate everything they’ve done for us.

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