Share Your Roll Call Story
Every month, Roll Call brings together over 500 veterans—from World War II heroes to those who served in Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and beyond—for more than just a meal. It’s a gathering that honors service, builds lasting connections, and reminds each veteran that their sacrifice is remembered and valued.
Your voice matters. Whether you’ve attended once or have been coming for years, your experience helps others understand why Roll Call is so important to our veteran community. By sharing your testimonial, you help us continue to grow this mission of respect, recognition, and community—and you inspire others to join us in honoring those who have served.
We invite you to tell us what Roll Call means to you. Your story, whether a few sentences or several paragraphs, will help us preserve and strengthen this vital tradition for veterans across North Texas.
Major General Mitch “Face” Hanson, United States Air Force
Roll Call is a remarkable veteran organization dedicated to supporting local veterans through outreach, home visitations, and community education along with a monthly lunch meeting. Their commitment to service learning also empowers junior high and high school students to serve with purpose while learning leadership and compassion. Roll Call strengthens the community and ensures veterans are seen, supported, and valued.
Doug Petersen
I’m proud to be involved with Roll Call because it represents everything a veteran-focused nonprofit should be. Each month, Roll Call provides a free lunch to nearly 450 veterans, but what truly sets it apart is the sense of respect, connection, and community it creates.
Roll Call goes beyond serving meals—it supports other local nonprofits that are dedicated to helping veterans, strengthening the entire network of services available to those who have served. It also works with local schools, giving students the opportunity to hear firsthand from veterans about their experiences, service, and sacrifices. These moments help preserve our history while teaching younger generations the true meaning of service. Roll Call reaches across the military community to honor both our active-duty service members and our veterans.
I’ve seen firsthand the difference it makes, and I’m grateful to be part of an organization that ensures those who served our country are recognized, respected, and never forgotten. Short version: “Roll Call is about much more than a meal.
While it provides a free monthly lunch to hundreds of veterans, its true impact is the sense of honor, connection, and community it creates. By supporting other veteran nonprofits and bringing veterans into local schools to share their stories, Roll Call ensures that service and sacrifice are remembered and respected.” Doug Petersen 817-690-8321 My TEDx Talk
Rick Russell
Being a member of Roll Call of Fort Worth is more than just attending a meeting or sharing a meal. For me, it’s reconnecting with a part of myself that never left — the Marine who served from 1974 to 1979, carrying a machine gun and the weight of responsibility that came with it. Those years shaped me in ways that time doesn’t erase. They taught me discipline, loyalty, and what it means to trust the person standing next to you with your life.
When I walk into Roll Call, I feel that same sense of belonging settle in. It’s a room full of people who don’t need explanations. Veterans understand each other in a way that non‑veterans simply can’t. We’ve all carried burdens, seen things, and lived moments that changed us. There’s a quiet understanding in the way we talk, joke, and even sit together. It’s a bond forged in service, strengthened by time, and honored through connection.
Roll Call gives me a place where I’m not just another face in the crowd. I’m part of a family — a family that spans branches, generations, and experiences. We look out for each other, lift each other up, and remind one another that we’re never walking alone. That kind of camaraderie is rare in the civilian world, but it’s alive and well here.
And as for being a Marine — that never fades. You don’t stop being a Marine when you take off the uniform. It stays in your bones, in your mindset, in the way you carry yourself. “Once a Marine, always a Marine” isn’t just a saying. It’s a truth you feel every day. Roll Call gives me a place to honor that part of my identity while standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with others who understand exactly what that means.
Michael Bennett
One of the benefits that I have enjoyed the most from being a member of Roll Call has been the opportunity to share my military experience with a variety of young students.
This has included the aviation summer camp at the National Aviation Education Center and at my grandson’s school.
