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By Buzz Trexler

Star Correspondent

Inspired by the kindness of Red Coat Ambassadors at the Veterans Administration Medical Center at Mountain Home, an Elizabethton veteran recently donated $20,000 to programs at the facility.

Red Coat Ambassadors greet veterans, their families, and caregivers, and help them find their way around what can seem to be a maze of hallways, buildings, and offices related to their VA benefits.

But it was the volunteers’ dedication to raising money to meet veterans’ needs by selling popcorn that touched 75-year-old Louie Greene’s heart.

“They stand on their feet for five or six hours out of a day, selling popcorn to make a little extra money for my brothers and my sisters,” Greene said, explaining that the money from the popcorn sales goes into a fund that helps when “some veterans in the facility need a little something extra” that VA benefits do not cover.

Greene spent four years in the Air Force – he was an aerial photographer – and 18 years in the National Guard. The veteran said he had “a little loose change,” and asked himself, “Well, what can I do for my brothers and my sisters?”

“So that’s what I did,” he said. “I gave. I gave $20,000.”

Center for Development and Civic Engagement Chief Kevin Jones said Greene directed $10,000 of his donation to the Community Living Center, where veterans may stay for a short time or, in rare instances, for the rest of their lives. It offers a nursing home level of care, help with daily living, and skilled nursing and medical care. The other $10,000 is directed to the Center for Development and Civic Engagement General-Purpose Fund.

“This country’s been good to me and I’m just trying to return a few favors,” Greene said.