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Web Site Offers Network For Veterans

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By GEOFF FOX, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 11, 2007

WESLEY CHAPEL - Veterans Day probably means more to Steve Lecarpentier than it does to most people.

A disabled veteran, the Meadow Pointe resident suffers from chronic compression fractures in his back, an affliction related to his Army service. Although the condition forced him into retirement, it didn't break his desire to stay busy.

"Since I retired, I lost track of a lot of my military friends," said Lecarpentier, 46, a St. Louis native. "Sometimes, when you move, you lose everything. I wanted to have something where veterans could go and register, and make it easy to update their information, so their friends could find them."

About six weeks ago, Lecarpentier launched www.veteran.com, which he describes as a social network for veterans.

Registration is free and the Web site is void of advertising. It has a forum, links where members can view profiles of each other, pictures, videos and other features. With a few clicks of the mouse, members can see where and when other members served.

The Web site has about 180 members, and new members are joining rapidly, with members in California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, across New England and other areas.

Information about the site has spread via word of mouth and e-mail.

"I send e-mail to my friends and they send e-mail to other friends," said Lecarpentier, who lives with his wife, Alex, and daughter, Kelly. "There are American Legions in North Carolina and New York who post information about the site on their Web sites. Word is getting around."

Lately, he said, members have been posting basic training group photos released by the Air Force. A recent video post shows a Marine sergeant rapping about unity, freedom and fighting terrorism.
Army veteran Matt Wilson of Cape Girardeau, Mo., said he doesn't know of another Web site like it. Wilson said he was doing an online search for Veterans Affairs information when he found www.veteran.com.

"I liked that the videos are specifically for military, not like on YouTube, where there's a lot of stuff you're not interested in," said Wilson, who served from 1995 to 2000. "He keeps the new videos out front. Plus, you can do unit searches, or word searches, where you can be more specific with what you want.

"In the forums, you can just talk about stuff that's going on. The last time I went in there, everyone was talking about what they're going to do on Veterans Day."

Now a health and safety manager for Penske Logistics, Wilson said he plans to spend the day relaxing with family.

When Lecarpentier talks about Veterans Day, it is clear that he has found the proper pastime. As he goes about his activities today, he said the plight of World War I veterans will be on his mind.

"After the Germans surrendered in Paris, the World War I veterans came home and there were no programs like there were after World War II," he said. "They got gassed in the fields, and the government wasn't there for them. They marched on Washington and demanded to be recognized. The U.S. recognized veterans more after World War II.

"I think about the poor guys who served during wartime. A lot of them were taken off the farm. They had no education or training, and they served their country, and some of them never came home."

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