CROMWELL — The Travelers Championship does a good job of taking care of all their fans, but especially veterans, who are appreciated in many different ways.
If you are a veteran and plan on coming to the tournament you and your kids will be able to get in free all week. Just go on the Travelers website and print out a voucher.
There are a lot of tents and viewing stands at the Travelers, but only one to salute. Sharon O’Brien is in charge of Patriots Outpost. “Patriots Outpost is just a place where we can recognize anybody in the military. Veterans reserve, active military for their hard work and going on tours of duty for our country,” said O’Brien.
Patriots Outpost is where veterans get in for free. They offer acupuncture, “And it’s part of the combat acupuncture protocol that is used for PTSD, migraine headaches.”
Veterans enjoy a free lunch, they hang out in the air conditioning, they can even get a massage. But perks aside, it’s really about running into old friends and being appreciated. “It’s something unexpected. When I came back from Vietnam, at that time veterans weren’t very appreciated. To have it change in the last decade is just really...I think all veterans are really grateful,” said Bud Hartson. He’s an Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam. He’s from Portland.
We ran into some caddies who served in the military. Patriots Outpost has arguably the best real estate on the course. A birds eye view of the 18th green, where championships are won and lost. “The 18th hole right here is just phenomenal and to have a viewpoint like we have right now, you just can’t ask for anything better,” said Hartson.
Trinity Healthcare has been sponsoring the tent for a long time. Earlier in the week they held a shower for military wives or veterans who just had a baby to give them gifts and make sure they were appreciated.