Westover reservists visit Holyoke Soldiers' Home - CBS 3 Springfield - WSHM
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Airmen from the Westover Air Reserve Base made a special visit to the Holyoke Soldiers' Home Wednesday morning.
This visit to the soldiers home is an annual event for the airmen.
It's a visit many of the veterans look forward to every year.
"Every week there's something, today's its big and special, Westover," said World War II veteran Stanley Stec.
Around 20 air force reservist members stopped by for the visit.
The men and women sang songs, brought holiday cookies and sat with veterans to talk about shared experiences.
Many of these former soldiers served in World War II, but Westover officials say despite the time difference, the veterans and the reservists still have plenty to talk about.
"The veterans can really relate to the military members and even though there might be 70 years in difference between the ages of some of these people, but they have the same experiences," said Wing Cmdr. of Westover Air Reserve Base Steven Vautrain. "It's nice for them to be able to sit down, talk about their experiences from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq - whatever it might be. There's just a bond there between the military that they can actually relate to each other on that basis."
Some Westover airmen say that many times the veterans don't share their stories from the service until these reservists come in to talk to them.
Westover has been doing this for several years now and say it is a tradition that they will continue.
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