As Americans celebrate the service and sacrifice of their military veterans on Saturday, it will be just another day at Jake’s Diner. There, every day is Veterans Day.

This classic small-town diner near Costco in east Bend has earned a reputation among veterans as a safe place to seek support, or even just a good meal. Jake’s is where veterans pull their personal coffee cup off the wall. Jake’s is where they can connect with services for veterans. Jake’s is the place to feel loved and supported.

It’s no coincidence that Jake’s Diner has become the hub of the veteran community in Bend. It’s where the now-statewide veterans organization, Oregon Band of Brothers, first began to flourish. To this day, every Monday at 9 a.m. sharp, the Bend chapter takes over Jake’s Diner with 80 to 100 veterans who show up in search of camaraderie, support and friendship.

The owner of Jake’s Diner, 71-year-old Lyle Hicks, doesn’t mind. In fact, he has encouraged the group ever since the founding members took up residence at Jake’s in 2006.

“They were having coffee at the Elks Lodge, and (started) going to different restaurants to have lunch,” Hicks said.

“When they showed up here, they said, ‘Can we come back next week?’ I said, sure,” recalled Hicks. “And then at the end of the month they asked, ‘can we make this permanent?’ But by then they had me wrapped rock solid around their fingers.”

Today, it would be strange to see Hicks without his Navy cap, the one that says Veteran, or his Band of Brothers bomber jacket, but that wasn’t always the case.

Before Hicks met the Band of Brothers, his military service wasn’t something he was proud of. It wasn’t just that Hicks isn’t one to boast — he’s the type to brush off the fact that while in the Navy he helped save 4,500 Vietnamese refugees from drowning. It’s that the scars of his service ran deep.

“I was in a very unpopular war,” Hicks said. “When I came back I threw everything away to become a civilian, or attempted to become a civilian.”

When the Band of Brothers first started meeting at Jake’s, Hicks personally wanted nothing to do with their meeting. A few years earlier, the events of Sept. 11, 2001 brought back memories from Vietnam he had tried to forget. His service was on his mind, and not in a good way. His pastor even referred him to a psychologist for help.

“I saw in the faces of the people running from the building what I saw on the faces of the (refugees) that we were pulling out of the water. I had pushed all those memories down,” Hicks said. “I struggled dealing with it back in 2001, but still didn’t know really what it was, what I was doing.”

Band of Brothers ultimately convinced Hicks to sit down for a meeting. It wasn’t at all what he had expected. No one talked about their war, no one regaled the crowd with stories of heroism. It was just a group of people talking about their lives, veterans supporting veterans. It healed him, Hicks said.

“They made me realize that being a veteran was pretty darn good, so they brought that pride back out in me,” Hicks said.

When Hicks sees veterans in Jake’s Diner, regardless if they’ve ever been introduced, he makes a point to ask how they are doing. On any given day, there are five or six veterans eating breakfast at the diner, who Hicks greets with a companionable pat on the shoulder.

Without fully intending to, Hicks leads the charge in helping others come to terms with any trauma they suffered during their service.

“He’s a mentor, that’s for sure,” said Bill Wommack, an eight-year Army veteran and Band of Brothers member. “When I came back from Vietnam, things weren’t good. I never told anyone I was a veteran and I kind of hid it all away. When I met Lyle, he convinced me I didn’t have to hide it, and I could be proud of being a veteran.”

Hicks doesn’t see the Band of Brothers or the veteran community as a cause he is supporting. From his perspective, they have done more for him than he ever could give in return. But that’s just who Hicks is, said Tom Marple, Band of Brothers vice president.

“Lyle gives back 85% when most people only give 15%,” said Marple. “I think it helps him to help other people.”

Hicks admitted that his support for veterans and the way he runs his business hasn’t always been the most profitable. In fact, he’s even lost investors because making money wasn’t his top priority for Jake’s Diner. But Hicks still views himself as rich because of the love and strength of his relationships.

Today, the Band of Brothers has grown into an Oregon-wide organization. There are chapters in Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville and La Pine. What started in the back room of Jake’s Diner has grown into a thriving social group with over 2,000 members.

Just as Bend has grown, so has the Band of Brothers. Thankfully though, Jake’s has been able to maintain the small-town diner feel.

“Even though the Bend’s gigantic now, I think Jake’s is still like a hometown diner. You can go in there and people are friendly. The staff is great. The food is exceptional,” Wommack told The Bulletin. “Jake’s is the place to be.”

Editor’s note: This article has been corrected. The original version misstated the number of refugees saved from drowning. The Bulletin regrets the error. 

If veterans or their families are struggling, help is out there. If you can’t visit Jake’s Diner on Monday morning for the weekly Band of Brothers meeting or need immediate help, below are some resources.

• The Veterans Crisis Line provides 24/7 support for veterans and their loved ones free of charge. Dial 988 and press 1, or text 838255.

• The Military Helpline offers free 24/7 help to any military-connected community member. Call 888-457-4838.

• The National Call Center for Homeless Veterans can be reached at 877-424-3838.

• Dual Diagnosis Anonymous Veterans has weekly meetings for members to speak openly about post-traumatic stress, depression, substance-abuse and addiction. Meetings are weekly, in-person or online. Call 503-222-6484.