FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 25, 2023

MCV and Vet Voice Foundation host Public Lands Pint Night with Major General Paul Eaton and other Veterans

(HELENA, Mont.) – Last night, the Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund and the Vet Voice Foundation hosted Major General Paul Eaton and two Montana veterans for a discussion about what public lands mean to Montanans who have served. The talk was moderated by former Governor Steve Bullock and took place at Brother’s Tapworks in Helena. 

The crowd in attendance were rewarded with a lively and moving conversation about the importance of public lands from three people who know what it means to serve our country. 

Major General Paul Eaton served more than 30 years in the United States Army, including combat and post-combat assignments in Iraq, Bosnia and Somalia. He was joined by Jonas Rides At The Door, Marine Corps veteran and member of the Blackfeet Tribe, and Kathleen Gilluly, who served 4 years in the Army as a truck driver and heavy equipment operator in Germany building the world’s largest tank range. 

Jonas Rides At The Door–a machine gunner in the infantry and Purple Heart recipient who served three deployments in Iraq–spoke personally about how public lands help veterans with their service. 

“It was very tough. War is tough. But I found a level of peace on our public lands, in the mountains and waters,” said Rides At The Door. “And that’s why I got involved with Vet Voice and why it’s so important to protect these special places.”

Among the issues the panel discussed with Governor Bullock and the crowd were how public lands and outdoor recreation help vets heal, the need to pass the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, and how calls and letters to your elected leaders really can make a difference. 

“It’s my belief that pretty much everyone who serves in the military in a combat situation deals with some level of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome,” said General Eaton. “And I also believe that the easiest, cheapest treatment for PTSD is our public lands.”

The entire panel stressed that if you speak up, you will be heard. They stressed that calls from constituents matter, and when an elected official makes a promise, we must hold them accountable for it. 

Along with connecting with other folks who want to support our veterans and public lands, those in attendance helped by raising their glass, as Brother’s Tapworks donated $1 from every pint pulled to the MCV Education Fund and the Vet Voice Foundation. 

“There are important fights happening right now and complacency is a real danger,” said Whitney Tawney, Executive Director of the MCV Education Fund. “But the service and stories of our panelists and other veterans should inspire us all to do what we can to protect Montana’s clean air, clean water and public lands.”

For more about the event, please contact Anthony Licata at 406-426-2645 or anthony@mtvoters.org.

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Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization engaging all Montanans and their communities by empowering them to protect our clean air, clean water, public lands and voting rights through education, mobilization and the power of grassroots advocacy. The MCV Education Fund programs educate the public about critical environmental and public lands issues; promote greater nonpartisan citizen involvement in the democratic process; and provide strategic tools to conservation organizations to be more effective. Visit mtvotersedfund.org for more details.

CONTACT

Anthony Licata
Communications Director
Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund

406-426-2645