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\u201cWhen I read the stories of people who lived during this time, I think about their lives,\u201d she said, \u201cI wonder what motivated them to enlist or not.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Greenwood was in college, she took a music appreciation class. For her final project, she featured John Philip Sousa, the American composer and conductor best known for \u201cThe Stars and Stripes Forever\u201d and other U.S. military marches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She also enjoys quilting and keeps a World War II\u2013themed quilt in her office. Along with Martha Knowles, Greenwood helped piece together the first Quilt of Valor presented to Ronda Asta, Lincoln County\u2019s first female veteran to receive the honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cQuilts of Valor is what sparked my interest in quilting,\u201d she said. \u201cWe were able to award three females with Quilts of Valor. Sometimes women are a forgotten demographic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greenwood\u2019s interest in all things military is extensive, but her love of helping people, especially veterans, is paramount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVeterans have my heart,\u201d she said. \u201cOur mother taught us that serving others is serving God. To do this job is a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Greenwood works alongside Veterans Services Officer Tammy McConnell. She credits McConnell for establishing an excellent system to quickly meet veterans\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy job involves the intake process, gathering information, and placing the veteran into the system,\u201d Greenwood said. \u201cI work with death benefits and help the spouses of veterans who have passed away, but Tammy works more extensively with helping the veterans receive compensation and other medical benefits. Her teaching methods are phenomenal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lincoln County office serves approximately 3,000 veterans and dependents. In addition to helping veterans with benefits and compensation, McConnell and Greenwood also assist veterans with transportation to hospitals in Murfreesboro and Nashville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of Greenwood\u2019s primary concerns is making veterans aware of their entitlements. Many of them, especially Vietnam veterans, don\u2019t talk about their experiences. Many are reluctant to seek help, choosing to go about their lives quietly without calling attention to themselves or to the unpopular war in which they were called to fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy Pops is a Vietnam War veteran. He is a very serious man, a man who lives in a world of black and white, right and wrong. He is a strong man with strong morals and strong rules, but he is also a very loving man,\u201d Greenwood said. \u201cBut he never talked about his military experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Greenwood, remaining silent is not uncommon for veterans, especially those from the Vietnam era. These veterans did not receive the support other soldiers did when they returned from war. As a result, they were met with undeserved feelings of shame or guilt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She remembers working with one particular Vietnam veteran who had spent years dealing with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the nightmares and the frustration that came with having no one else who understood their grief and pain. Once she and McConnell were able to get the man into the system, he was properly diagnosed with PTSD and became eligible for the benefits he deserved. He didn\u2019t realize he was suffering from trauma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was just a boy when he entered the war, and yet he had to live an unspeakable reality,\u201d Greenwood said. \u201cMy heart was broken when I heard him crying in the office. He had finally realized the anger, confusion, grief, and guilt he felt were justified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This situation fueled Greenwood\u2019s fire to be dogmatic in her fight for veterans. She encourages all Lincoln County veterans who may be entitled to benefits to call the office for more information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMany people believe that to receive benefits, veterans must have served in a war,\u201d she said, \u201cbut that\u2019s not true \u2014 anyone who served in any branch of the military may be eligible for some type of benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Greenwood, helping veterans receive the benefits they deserve is one way she shows gratitude to the men and women who served. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Veterans who wish to make an appointment with the Veterans Service Office may call (931) 433-1897. The office is located at 208 E. Davidson St. in Fayetteville and is open for appointments from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" JACKIE GREENWOOD was born into a family of patriots. Her family heritage includes at least one member who served in every major American conflict, beginning with the Revolutionary War. Her grandfather, Marion Brown, served during World War I, and her grandfather-in-law, Emmett Edwards, served during World War II. Greenwood\u2019s stepfather, Martin Hall, affectionately known as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":26011,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[69,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fayetteville","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/07\/Submitted-1024x683.jpg\")
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