While Veterans Day is celebrated Nov. 11, Querencia is proud to honor our veterans every day of the year. Querencia at Barton Creek counts many veterans among our residents and we are honored to recognize our residents and team members who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Here are a few of our favorite ways to honor our veterans, along with a spotlight on one of our favorite veterans, Querencia resident Wayne Dauber.
The Many Ways We Celebrate the Day
Everyone celebrates Veterans Day a little bit differently, but we can all agree that the day is a special opportunity to honor America’s military veterans and service members. Here are some of the memorable ways our residents and team members like to celebrate the day.
Attend a Veterans Day Event
There are typically a lot of special events, activities and celebrations that take place on Veterans Day each year. American Legion chapter websites, such as the one for Knebel Post 83 in Austin, offer a great way to connect with fellow veterans. Meanwhile, the Austin Veterans Day Parade is one of the larger annual celebrations in the area, with an average of 20,000 attendees.
Some Austin events, such as the Moon Runners’ Annual Veterans Day Walk/Run now offer virtual participation, so you can sign up and exercise from anywhere while also supporting veterans.
Austin, Texas is a community committed to supporting veterans – it’s why it ranks so highly on WalletHub’s Best Places for Veterans to Live List.
Volunteer Your Time In-Person or Online
Volunteering your time to help out service organizations that assist those who have served or currently serve our country is a great way to show your appreciation on Veterans Day. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Legion websites list volunteer opportunities that make it easy to get involved.
If you prefer to volunteer your time virtually, consider checking out Operation Gratitude and other organizations that allow you to show your support for deployed troops and veterans. Operation Gratitude emphasizes sending handmade items and personal letters to show encouragement.
Ask About Someone’s Story or Tell Your Own
Senior living communities, such as Querencia at Barton Creek, are full of interesting people with lots of amazing stories. We encourage our military veteran residents to share their own personal stories in honor of Veterans Day. If you are not a veteran, asking someone who is about their experience is a kind gesture that goes a long way toward celebrating the holiday.
For those who are unable to visit friends or family in-person, consider scheduling a time to touch base virtually using video communication tools such as Skype, Zoom or Google Meet.
Querencia Veteran Reflects on His Service
Querencia at Barton Creek is proud to have several residents who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Allow us to introduce you to Querencia resident Wayne Dauber, who served from March 1959 through June 1979 and retired as a Major. His military service has seen him go from flying KC-135 tankers at Altus Air Force Base in Oklahoma to flying RC-135 aircraft at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Wayne’s experience also extends outside the U.S., from the Kunsan Air Base in Korea to his time as an Air Operations Officer at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England.
Reflecting on his service, Wayne fondly remembers the relationships he cultivated.
“I worked with an amazing group of people at all levels,” says Wayne. “Many of us established lifetime relationships with our co-workers and our wives with their wives.”
“Our units and crews were our primary social circles,” he says. “We worked hard and we functioned as one big support group when needed. It was a very rewarding experience and we still miss it.”
When he thinks of Veterans Day and what it means to him, Wayne sees it as an opportunity to remember those bonds that he forged during his time in the military.
“Veterans Day reminds me to be thankful for the many friends we have made, and the ones we have lost, those who preceded us, and those who have and are following us,” he says.
We were especially pleased to hear that Wayne has felt welcomed at Querencia, where he has once again found himself among people with similar interests – including many veterans.
“2020 was our first year at Querencia at Barton Creek,” Wayne continues. “We had a wonderful Veterans Day. I had no idea we had so many here who had served.”
Building Community at Querencia
At Querencia at Barton Creek, our residents and team members have a strong sense of community, especially when it comes to celebrating holidays like Veterans Day. We support all of our residents — including our veteran residents — to live independently for as long as possible.
If you would like to learn more about what life at Querencia at Barton Creek looks like for yourself or a loved one, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to support you.
