To say that Benny Pinckard advocates for veterans is an understatement.

The owner of Green Hills Funeral Home served six years in Vietnam as a Seabee – a member of the U.S. Naval Construction Forces.

“He got the job because he told them he could drive all the machines,” joked his wife, Krissy.

But that’s not the whole story. Pinckard has seen first hand the dedication and selflessness of the men and women who serve in the armed forces, and he believes they deserve honor and recognition year-round. That’s why he established a veterans memorial area at Green Hills Cemetery and why the Pinckards host an annual Memorial Day service.

That’s also why Green Hills Funeral Home is leading a county-wide effort this month to support the Green Light A Vet campaign.

“This is really a terrific effort, one that is simple to do and one that shows appreciation to the veterans,” Krissy Pinckard said.

The national campaign seeks to establish visible national support for veterans by encouraging residents and businesses to change one light to green and to keep it glowing every day as a symbol of support and appreciation for veterans.

According to the website greenlightavet.com, “America’s veterans are some of our nation’s bravest, hardest-working men and women. However, it’s hard to show them the appreciation they deserve when back home and out of uniform, they’re more camouflaged than ever.”

More than 4.196 million bulbs have been mapped across the United States, according to the website, and participants are encouraged to log their support via the website.

To support the effort, Green Hills Funeral Home is passing out free green light bulbs this month to anyone who comes by and asks for them. “We hope the public will come by and get a light bulb and use it, in honor of our veterans,” Pinckard said. “It’s just one small way we can all show our support.”

The funeral home is located at 1621 South U.S. Highway 29, and anyone wanting more information about the campaign can call 334-670-9604.