What We Heard, What We Learned, and Where We Go From Here
A Statement Regarding the 2026 Day of Gratitude
To our Veterans, Active-Duty Military, National Guard, Reservists, All First Responders, Medical Professionals and all your families, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters:
Voice of the Veteran owes you honesty.
Since the 2026 Day of Gratitude at Allegiant Stadium, we have received a growing number of good comments and alarming complaints from Veterans and other attendees concerning how portions of the event were organized and operated.
We have listened.
We are not going to dismiss those concerns, and we are not going to pretend everything went the way Voice of the Veteran intended.
It did not.
Among the concerns reported directly to us were complaints that portions of the event appeared disorganized, that an event created to honor America’s Military did not begin as many expected with the National Anthem, and that some Veterans were directed to an off-site church location to obtain donated merchandise rather than receiving those items at the event which the management of Voice of the Veteran were totally against, but our concern’s and voices went unheard or ignored.
We also received complaints concerning the condition and appropriateness of some merchandise available through the distribution process. Some attendees reported that merchandise had already been opened or gone through before they arrived, and we received particularly troubling reports that some donated merchandise included adult sex products that the church fortunately discarded before the people arrived because they were completely inappropriate for this type of event.
Those concerns deserve to be taken seriously.
Voice of the Veteran was not in direct control of every part of the gift-distribution process, and we were not provided the level of advance information and operational oversight that we required. In our opinion based on the way things happened, we were ignored and we felt as if we were not part of the event, even though we are the founders of the event…period! There are no co-founders. We are the founders We at Voice of the Veteran still feel that CityServe planned a takeover of the Day of Gratitude 2 and that Voice of the Veteran was an afterthought. To further prove our point, CityServe actually printed up flyers that stated, “The local churches are at the center of the event.” Nothing can be further from the truth than this statement, this is not about churches or faith because there are many churches that were not included in the event by CityServe and there are many faiths and not all were included. We question that because it does not seem very “Christian” on their part since they are a faith-based organization. What we stated from the very beginning, before their “attempted takeover,” was that Veterans, the Military, and their families are at the center of this event. Not them, not us, not anybody, but our nation’s heroes. I hope you can tell by the tone of this article that we are extremely upset and that is an understatement. We are happy to hear from our Veterans that a number of them are very unhappy with the CityServe objective and mismanagement of this event. I cannot emphasize enough that we are with them and it’s good to hear that our feelings are being echoed. You’ll read it in other parts of this article. The Voice of the Veteran will NEVER, and I repeat, NEVER work with CityServe ever again. They went home after the event to their homes in California and other parts of the United States and Voice of the Veteran is here in Las Vegas. We know they’re not going to hear any of the complaints. They’re going to go on about their day, being all smug and happy that they did such a great job but hear this: THEY DID NOT! They Screwed Us and our Nation’s Heroes, all in one swoop. We will never work with them ever, ever again! That trust is broken and irreparable. They do not live here. We do, so they will not feel the wrath but we do. It’s a very unfortunate and hurtful experience on our part but we have learned from it and are moving forward in a positive direction. We’re strong, we’re Resilient, and we’re Veterans.
CityServe was a mistake to team up with.
We have also repeatedly heard from Veterans who said the Day of Gratitude did not feel like the Veterans and military appreciation event they had expected. Some told us that portions of the experience felt more like a church-oriented gathering than an event centered exclusively on America’s Veterans and Military community.
We understand why that would be upsetting. Even while the event was going on, our entire team at Voice of the Veteran felt the same way, but when things are happening in the moment, there is no time to stop it or change it.
The Day of Gratitude was created to honor Veterans and the Military community. That should never have been unclear.
What Happened Behind the Scenes
There is another part of this story that our Veterans deserve to understand.
During the planning and execution of the 2026 Day of Gratitude, Voice of the Veteran did not maintain the level of operational control over the event that we should have maintained, but it can be extremely difficult to do that when you are not aware of what is happening behind the scenes. We are finding out now, so many things were hidden from us or kept from us and if we knew these things were happening ahead of time, we would have stopped everything. As it is said, “everything shows its true colors eventually.” Apparently we were colorblind at that time, but now we see very clearly.
There were decisions and changes that occurred without sufficient advance consultation with Voice of the Veteran. There were times when information reached us after decisions had already been made or actions had already occurred. There were also areas where our leadership believed our input was not given the weight it should have received.
That created problems.
And as Founder of Voice of the Veteran, I take responsibility for allowing our organization to be placed in that position. You know what they say about hindsight? Additionally here we are months later from the actual event and we still have not received paperwork on expenditures or total revenue brought in… nothing at all other than complete silence and CityServe was in charge of that. Shocking, I know.
I trusted a partner with more control over an event carrying the Voice of the Veteran name than I should have.
That will not happen again. I have completely restructured Voice of the Veteran with an all-Veteran executive management team and an all-Veteran board.
Voice of the Veteran founded the Day of Gratitude for one reason: To honor the men and women who have served this country.
It was never intended to become somebody else’s event. It was never intended to lose its Veteran-centered identity.
And it was never intended for the Veterans organization that created it to find itself reacting to major decisions rather than directing them.
In my opinion there should have never been what I call a stage show of speakers. There should have been a stage that was handicap accessible for our World War II veterans to be on and be honored. Yes I was on the stage and I was honored but I have to tell you it was a very embarrassing part of my life. I’m sick and tired of being embarrassed . I almost did not even go to the Day of Gratitude 2 because I was so against everything that was happening but it was so last minute that I couldn’t change things. In hindsight I wish I would have never gone. That’s on me and I apologize for that. Just so you know after leaving the event I tossed the award I was given so I guess you can say yes, I did litter. I have no idea where it’s at. I did it out of disgust with myself and that is a lesson that I will never forget. Yes I caved and I will never, never do that again. If you want to give me an award, give it to Voice of the Veteran and the whole team will be there together. I truly believe in the TEAM aspect because when you break down the word “TEAM,” it is “Together Everyone Accomplishes More.”
Whatever the intentions of the people involved may have been, the result was not acceptable to us. To us, it is as plain as the nose on our faces that CityServe was building a network of churches for their own agenda. That is our opinion. If they don’t like that, too bad. Prove us wrong. We have already talked to a lot of the churches and their sentiment is also pretty much the same as ours. There are hurt feelings with them as well. One comment I received from a high-ranking member of a church that will go unnamed was “Users will be users.”
The Entertainment Also Taught Us Something
We also paid attention to what Veterans told us about the entertainment.
Much of the feedback we received concerning Coffey Anderson was extremely positive.
Veterans told us they connected with his performance because his music reflected patriotism, military service, sacrifice, family, and respect for America’s Veterans.
His performance of “You Can’t Spell Hero Without Her,” honoring women who have served in our military, was especially meaningful to a number of women Veterans and other attendees who spoke with us.
That is the kind of connection we want entertainment at a Veterans appreciation event to create.
It should mean something.
It should have a purpose.
It should remind people why they are gathered together.
We received a substantially different reaction regarding the Big & Rich performance.
The audience on the floor appeared sparse during portions of their performance, and a number of Veterans and attendees told us they simply did not connect with that portion of the entertainment.
That is not an attack on Big & Rich.
It is not a statement about their talent or their success as entertainers.
It is a lesson for us about understanding our audience.
The Day of Gratitude was not intended to be just another concert.
It was intended to be a Veterans and military appreciation event.
Future entertainment associated with Voice of the Veteran events will be selected with that mission firmly in mind.
Our Veterans Deserved Better
One of the hardest things for me personally has been hearing that some Veterans walked away disappointed enough to question Voice of the Veteran itself.
That hurts.
But we’re not going to run from it.
Voice of the Veteran has spent years helping Veterans, assisting with disability claims, developing programs, building relationships, creating opportunities, and working to make a measurable difference in the Veteran community.
When something carrying our name falls short of the standard we expect, we have two choices.
We can make excuses.
Or we can confront it.
We are confronting it.
I am not going to tell Veterans that what they experienced didn’t happen.
I am not going to dismiss legitimate criticism because it is uncomfortable.
And I am not going to protect anyone’s feelings at the expense of listening to the Veterans we exist to serve.
Our Relationship With CityServe Is Over
There is something else I want to make completely clear.
Voice of the Veteran will not partner or work with CityServe again.
Not at another Day of Gratitude.
Not at another Voice of the Veteran event.
Not at the Veterans Supercenter Campus.
And not on another program carrying the Voice of the Veteran name.
That decision is final.
This is a decision about the future direction of our organization.
Based upon our experience surrounding the 2026 Day of Gratitude, I do not believe CityServe and Voice of the Veteran are the right organizational fit for one another.
Whatever CityServe’s intentions may have been, our experience demonstrated a fundamental difference in how we believe a Veterans event should be planned, controlled, communicated, and executed.
Military culture matters.
Traditions matter.
Respect matters.
The National Anthem matters.
Understanding the audience matters.
Clear lines of responsibility matter.
And most importantly:
Listening to Veterans matters.
When Veterans themselves walk away from a Veterans event saying that it did not feel like it was designed for them, an organization like ours has an obligation to listen.
We have listened.
Lessons Learned
The most important lesson Voice of the Veteran learned from the 2026 Day of Gratitude is simple:
If our name is on it, we must control it.
Future Voice of the Veteran events will operate under clearly defined leadership, responsibilities, authority, communication procedures, and accountability.
There will be no confusion about who is in charge.
There will be no ambiguity regarding who has authority to make major operational decisions.
There will be no major changes involving an event carrying our name without our leadership knowing about them and approving them.
And there will never again be any confusion about whom the event exists to honor.
Veterans first. Military first. Their families first.
If a potential partner does not share that standard, then they are simply not the right partner for Voice of the Veteran.
To Those Who Spoke Up — Thank You
To every Veteran and attendee who called, emailed, messaged us, spoke with our staff, or stopped one of us personally to tell us about your experience:
Thank you.
Some of what we heard was difficult.
But we needed to hear it.
There were absolutely people who enjoyed the Day of Gratitude.
There were good moments.
There were dedicated volunteers.
There were generous sponsors and donors.
There were entertainers, staff members, vendors, organizations, and supporters who sincerely wanted to honor America’s heroes.
We will never take anything away from those people.
But there were also problems.
Both of those things can be true at the same time.
Acknowledging what went wrong does not erase everything that went right.
And recognizing what went right does not require us to ignore what went wrong.
We learned from this experience.
And we intend to act on what we learned.
One Final Personal Thought
I want to finish this statement personally, not merely as the Founder of Voice of the Veteran.
For a while, I honestly thought I might have been one of the only people who walked away from the Day of Gratitude feeling disappointed.
I did not enjoy myself that day.
As the event unfolded, I could see problems developing around me. I saw situations that concerned me, and I knew that parts of what I was witnessing did not resemble the Day of Gratitude that I had envisioned.
Unfortunately, once an event of that size is underway, some problems cannot simply be undone.
By the time I recognized the full extent of certain issues, they had already happened.
I carried that disappointment with me afterward.
Then the calls began.
The emails came.
Veterans started talking to us.
Attendees began describing their experiences.
And, quite frankly, some of what I heard surprised me.
I realized I wasn’t alone.
A number of Veterans walked away feeling many of the same things I felt that day.
At the same time, I want to be fair.
There were Veterans and attendees who had a wonderful time, and I am genuinely glad they did.
There were some great moments during the Day of Gratitude. There were also a lot of good people who worked extremely hard trying to make the event successful.
Nothing I have written here is intended to diminish those people or their efforts.
But people who had a positive experience should not invalidate those who had a negative one.
Both experiences are legitimate.
And after hearing directly from Veterans, I no longer feel as though I was the only person who believed something had gone seriously off course.
There is also one point about which I want there to be absolutely no confusion:
Voice of the Veteran founded and created the Day of Gratitude.
The event grew from our organization’s commitment to the Veteran community and our desire to create something extraordinary to honor America’s Military heroes.
Looking back, I believe bringing CityServe into the Day of Gratitude was a mistake.
I own that decision.
Leadership means being willing to take credit when something succeeds, but it also means being willing to stand in front when something goes wrong.
I made the decision to trust that partnership.
Knowing what I know today, I would not make the same decision again.
And I will not.
Neither I nor Voice of the Veteran will partner or work with CityServe again.
That chapter is closed.
Now we move forward.
We move forward having learned some difficult lessons.
We move forward with stronger standards.
We move forward knowing that our organization’s reputation must always be protected by maintaining responsibility for anything carrying our name.
And most importantly, we move forward remembering exactly where the Day of Gratitude began and exactly whom it was created to serve.
With Veterans.
For Veterans.
Led by Veterans.
That is where it belongs.
And as long as I have anything to say about it, that is where it will stay.
Results Don’t Lie.
Bob Maxwell
Founder
Voice of the Veteran
U.S. Air Force Veteran
A Personal Side Note
Those of you who know me personally know one more thing:
I cleaned up the language in this statement considerably.
Believe me, this is the family-friendly version.
If I wrote exactly what I think and exactly how I would normally say it, it would probably rattle the stained glass and shake a few pews.
But profanity isn’t necessary to make the point.
I am angry about what happened. I am angry that Veterans walked away disappointed. And I am angry that the reputation of an organization we have worked so hard to build was tarnished because of decisions and actions that were too often outside our knowledge and too late to control and correct.
So consider this the cleaned-up version—but don’t mistake cleaned-up language for a lack of conviction.
When it comes to standing up for our Veterans, I will not apologize, I will not back down, and I will not remain silent.
Not now. Not ever.
By the way, Voice of the Veteran is the sole founder of The Day of Gratitude. Word to the wise, don’t poke the angry bull.
There, now that the truth is out, we are moving forward to take care of our nation’s heroes and their families as well as the heroes that take care of us every day. We aren’t Veterans because we’re pushovers. We’re Veterans because we signed on the dotted line and put our lives on the line for our country and we take care of our own and our heroes that take care of us.
Go in peace and make a positive difference because remember, RESULTS DON’T LIE™
To CityServe, DO NOT CONTACT US BECAUSE WE WILL NOT TAKE THE TIME TO ANSWER YOU. YOU HAVE WASTED ENOUGH OF OUR TIME ALREADY AND HAVE CAUSED US REPUTATIONAL HARM THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE FACED WITH!!! I made the poster below with you in mind. You may not understand it, but frankly I DO NOT CARE!
