“Celebrating our Veterans” is the focus of the Thursday, Nov. 18, meeting of the Fountain Hills Democratic Club.

Members and interested voters are welcome to join attend the 6 p.m. meeting at the Community Center. Family and friends are asked to bring guests who are servicemen and women to the meeting. Bagpiper Eric Landau will welcome meeting attendees with patriotic music, and veterans will post the colors.

The evening’s main speaker is Army veteran Terry Araman, who served three years as an Army medic, including service with the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam in 1968 and ‘69.

As past director of Madison Street Veterans’ Association, a homeless veterans service organization, Araman led the efforts to establish MANA (Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force) House, a transitional living center housing 52 homeless veterans. His other volunteer accomplishments include 16 years with Sun Sounds, Radio Reading Service for blind and print-handicapped persons; member of Amnesty International, including four years as Phoenix Group Coordinator. He currently serves on Veteran Advisory Councils for Senator Mark Kelly, Congressman Ruben Gallego, and Congressman Greg Stanton.

Araman is past vice chair and current legislative liaison for Unified Arizona Veterans and was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame in 2016.

Araman continues to dedicate his life to making homeless veterans whole again with shelter, healing, education, and employment. In 2020, he joined the City of Phoenix Military/Veteran Advisory Commission and became a board member of Brighter Way Institute, and the Human Services Campus in Phoenix.

Also speaking is veteran, club member and precinct committeeman Eric Landau. He will present his experiences, 20 years ago, on and after 9/11 in Manhattan. Present by chance in the Twin Towers area on 9/11, Laundau relocated from Ground Zero to become the ad hoc communications officer for FEMA's Chelsea Piers Triage Center, and later served in the command logistics staff of the NYC Emergency Operations Center. His narrative of that devastating tragedy is stunning and enlightening.