WEST ALLIS, Wis — Finding a place to go on the holidays might sound simple for many vets. However, it's not as simple as many people may think. Tuesday local veteran decided to get about 30 other vets out for a day on the lanes. There wasn’t a single gift in sight, but the presence of each other was enough for one group of vets on Christmas Eve.
"Events like this, they kind of help you get out of your head for a while," said Samuel Brown, a veteran.
Brown was one of more than two dozen vets who came out to bowl free of charge at the AMF Lanes in West Allis.
The goal was simple. Have fun and enjoy each other like family.
“On Christmas Eve, a teammate of mine was killed in combat,” said Matthew McDonnell.
McDonnell organized the event. His friend, Sgt. Enrique Mondragon was killed in the line of duty on Christmas Eve in 2012.
"Once you see some of the things we saw in combat. I don't think you really come back from that," McDonnell said.
But now, all of these veterans are back. Be it from Iraq, Kuwait or Afghanistan, they’re all thankful to have a place to go for the holidays.
