AUGUSTA, Maine – On June 6, the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services (MBVS), the VA Regional Benefit Office at Togus, and VA Maine Healthcare will host a Veterans and Community Connection Expo at the Boothbay Railway Village Museum (586 Wiscasset Road in Boothbay) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The expo is a family-friendly event with free admission and parking. The Boothbay Railway Village Museum will also offer free train rides for active duty, veterans, and their immediate family (children and spouses) with an ID showing your service status. All attractions will be open including the historical buildings, Antique Auto Museum, and Model Train Exhibit. Music will be provided by Garry Blackman and the All That Matters Band and the Dave Gagne Band.

Truckin’ Good Food and Salty Boyz Food Truck will be on site to provide lunch for attendees (cash and credit/debit cards accepted), and there will be a Touch-A-Truck event for the children including the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, Boothbay Harbor Police Department, Boothbay Fire Department, Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, and the Maine Army National Guard.

The June 6 Expo falls on the 82nd Anniversary of the Allies D-Day invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord). To honor this, local veterans whose stories were documented in the books - "Southport: The War Years, An Island Remembers" and "Heroes Among Us: A History of the Boothbay Region During the Second World War" (researched and written by MBVS Director of Strategic Partnerships, Sarah Sherman), will be featured on posters throughout the event. Attendees who participate in our D-Day + 82 years mission to locate all the posters and answer historical questions related to them will be entered into a raffle for three-gun safes (two upright and one handgun), and much more!

This event is part of the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program and is designed to provide connections to veterans and their families to federal, state, and community benefits and resources. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) have highlighted Maine’s Veterans Expo programs as a nationwide best practice, and they are held quarterly around the state to bring services to veterans in both rural and urban areas.

Join us for the Veterans and Community Connection Expo at the Boothbay Railway Village for a day of connection to benefits and resources, music, food, raffles, and family fun. All are welcome to attend this free event.

The Maine Bureau of Veterans' Services is committed to serving Maine's veterans and their families by advocating for their needs and providing access to essential resources and benefits. The Maine Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management. Our mission is to help Mainers who served, and their loved ones, understand and navigate the benefits, services, and programs available to them. The Bureau does this by being a responsive, experienced, and dedicated advocate. The Bureau is headquartered at Camp Keyes and has seven field service offices located throughout the state and a claims office located at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Togus, Maine. The Bureau also operates the Maine Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery System which includes four veterans’ cemeteries. For more information about the Bureau or to request assistance, please visit our website at www.maine.gov/veterans.