Most days, when you walk into the Long Beach VA Medical Center, the smiling face welcoming you is that of Larry Nelson. If you need directions, information, or an escort to an appointment, Larry is the one to help. As a Red Coat Ambassador at the VA, that’s his area of expertise. It’s just one of many things Larry does as a volunteer though.
As the Elks Voluntary Service Representative at the Long Beach VA, Larry ensures that veterans have the support they need. For his service in combat in Vietnam, Larry received a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Combat Infantry Badge. He walked away from the experience with a newfound passion for serving fellow veterans.
From the everyday moments that make life more colorful to special events and holidays, Larry is always planning something for his fellow veterans. He hosts monthly cookouts at the Blind Rehabilitation Center at the VA. He serves turkey dinners. He hosts a monthly Bingo game at the Community Living Center and always brings doughnuts.
He’s an advocate for Veterans Social Connection program, issuing invitations and joining in the meetings himself. He mentors veterans with PTSD. On holidays, he volunteers to help with barbecues and meals, and hands out Christmas gifts to veterans in the spinal ward every Christmas, alongside his wife and daughter. Hearing this list gives you an idea of how he’s amassed more than 15,800 hours of volunteer time at the VA.
His more than 40 years of service to fellow veterans has also made him an extremely useful resource. He knows how to connect with nurses and doctors to find out what veterans need, whether it’s a special item or a regular visit from a friend. Larry is often that friend, spending hours listening to and talking with veterans at the VA. He goes out of his way to visit veterans without family nearby. He’s even recruited his daughter and her friends along to help with events, building connections, and teaching dedication.
With a resume like that, you’d think he’d relax. But Larry’s life is a lesson in persistence, commitment, and passion. There’s no time to relax when there are veterans who need him. And so day after day, Larry reports to the Long Beach VA to be a friend and guide to all who walk through the doors.
That kind of lifelong commitment to being a dependable person that others can count on isn’t always a flashy story. But it’s one of the most important kinds of stories, of a person who gives so much of their time to solve problems, to brighten people’s days, and to make clear that our veterans aren’t forgotten.
For the everyday and the holidays, for the first year of volunteering, and the decades of commitment since, we honor Larry Nelson with the Elks National Veteran Volunteer of the Year Award. May his example be a beacon for us all.
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