At the end of World War II, an entire generation of American veterans returned home to a tough economic climate with high unemployment and little by way of career prospects. The GI Bill, which was in fact the greatest piece of legislation that this country ever created, covered the cost of training and educating more than 8 million veterans at colleges and universities across the country.

Today, we are the very product of the WWII generation and its momentous contribution to our country’s prosperity. The WWII veterans created businesses, created jobs, changed the very foundation of what economic growth was, and grew this nation into the largest and most powerful nation on the face of this earth. In addition, the United States of America became the greatest military power, industrial power and largest economic power ever in the history of mankind as a result of our veterans and the ideas they brought with them.

We as veteran-business advocates have successfully created opportunities for vetrepreneurs who want to sell to the federal government by serving as a watchdog to hold the government accountable. We’ve also made great strides to convince corporate America to recognize the value of vetrepreneurs and include them as preferred suppliers. But, we’ve been slow to capitalize on that momentum and bring more opportunities to those businesses the Greatest Generation created when it returned from WWII. The battle lines have been drawn and NaVOBA is focused on creating more opportunities for those businesses on Main Street in every city and town across America.

Take a walk down a street of your hometown, large or small you will see many businesses, most of which are small businesses.  I can bet you that many of these businesses are owned and operated by a veteran. Yet we do little to no service with many of these businesses for we are not in our own way looking for a veteran-owned business.   When we shop or use services for which we rely on a daily basis, or maybe just shopping otherwise, we simply don’t contemplate if the businesses we patronize are veteran-owned.

Supporting your Main Street veteran-owned businesses is easy; just ASK  “are you a veteran owned business?”  When you use the phone, your computer, or other means in getting products or services, play golf, or attend your local pub, just ask “ARE YOU A VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS?”

Congress has done almost nothing for the small business owner, let alone the veteran small business owner.  Yet many veterans returning from their duties seek to start their own business in a tough job market.  This latest generation of returning veterans can also help this nation get back on its feet, but first Congress has to identify programs for the veteran in business on Main Street USA.

I will be taking on the challenge of advising many other advocates, businesses, and government in the challenges that our veteran owned businesses face. Together with you, I plan on making sure that veterans across this nation, the vetrepreneurs of now and in the future, will get the support they’ve earned and deserve.

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