Do you know a veteran? Someone who is from here and served for our country? Someone who you believe deserves to be recognized for their service? If so, please continue reading this column, as a section on local veterans is coming to The Tidewater News.

Recently, a couple of community members stopped by and talked to me about an idea they had for the newspaper — a segment to highlight local veterans.

The idea came from a vacation they had recently taken to Georgia, where they picked up a local newspaper. In that paper, there was a section featuring a local veteran. When they saw this, they thought this would be a great addition to our paper.

Once I heard the idea, I was immediately sold, as there are so many veterans in the area who deserve to be recognized. So frequently, articles about veterans are on the “war heroes,” or the ones who reached the highest rank. But in my opinion, the fact that someone served at all deserves recognition.

This is where I need y’all’s help. I can think of several veterans that I can start with, but I can’t possibly recognize everyone without suggestions from our readers.

With that being said, if you know a veteran who you think deserves to be in the paper, let me know. It doesn’t matter what their rank was, when they served or where they were stationed; if they are from Western Tidewater or are residing here, I want to know about them.

All the details of this addition to the paper have not been sorted out yet, so I am unable to provide a starting date or how frequently it will run yet. It will be coming out soon though, so be on the lookout for articles on your neighborhood veterans.

REBECCA CHAPPELL is a staff writer for The Tidewater News. She can be reached at rebecca.chappell@tidewaternews.com or 562-3187.