For years, Veteran Visitor was built around personal, face-to-face visits.
SGT Erschik would arrive in uniform, sit down with a fellow veteran, and simply talk. No agenda. No script. Just shared experience. If the veteran wanted to share stories, he listened. If they just wanted the company of someone who understood, that was enough.
Those visits often ended with a commemorative challenge coin, a personalized certificate, and a sincere, peer-to-peer thank you for their service.
Today, at 81, those personal visits have become very limited. But the mission continues—just in a different way.
How to Participate Today
Veteran Visitor now focuses on online story submissions. Reference the bottom of the Introduction page to submit your story.
If you’re a WWII, Korean, or Vietnam War veteran—or know one whose story deserves to be shared—you can participate by submitting that story directly. Write it in your own words. Once submitted, the story may be reviewed, organized, and shared so others can learn from and appreciate that veteran’s experience.
Supporting the Mission
This is still a FREE program for veterans.
If you’d like to help support the Veteran Visitor mission—website costs, certificates, postage, supplies, and challenge coins—you can do so with a donation below. As a thank you, you’ll receive the same personalized certificate of appreciation and commemorative challenge coin given to veterans.
You can also support the mission by purchasing Rich’s books listed below:
GREETING — the story of his journey from draftee to NCO in just 16 months.
Me and Honest John — the story he couldn’t tell for more than 60 years.
All proceeds help support the Veteran Visitor initiative.
Stay Connected / Get Involved
If you have a veteran story to share, questions about submissions, or want to learn more about participating, reach out directly:
Email: SgtErschik@VeteranVisitor.com
Phone/Text: 630-642-6500
Please Help Us, Help Them. In return for YOUR donation to help offset the cost of this website admin, certificate printing, and collectable challenge coin production, and to support this benevolent Veteran Visitor effort — YOU will receive the same personalized certificate of appreciation and Challenge Coin that is given to veterans.
In addition to PayPal we can accept payments by check (made out to Richard Erschik, 15225 Yellow Wood Dr. Alva, FL 33920) or Credit Card (Phone 630-642-6500)