SHAPLEIGH, Maine — A customer—an Army veteran himself—stopped by the table at the Local 130 restaurant, where two women were sitting. He held out his hand.

“I just want to thank you for your service,” he said, with a handshake for each. “Thank you.”

Julie and Kay are both veterans. Julie served a career in the Air Force, while Kay served a hitch in the Marine Corps in the 1960’s. They get together for lunch at Local 130 at least once a month, sharing talk of their lives and their military memories.

After more than four years of getting together, the two have become close friends. They didn’t know each other previously, but were connected through a program called Vet2Vet Maine.

“It's companionship, that’s the number one goal,” Julie said.

Companionship to prevent older veterans from f

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