“Come for the humor — stay for the community. I beg people to look for more than the jokes. I want veterans to feel like they’re connected. That’s my goal.”
– Zachary Bell
It started as a joke. Marine veteran Zachary Bell posted a photo of himself to Instagram holding a cardboard sign that read “Take Motrin, drink water, change your socks,” the military cure-all for any discomfort. Now, more than a year, 250-plus Instagram posts, and 85,000-plus followers later, Bell aims to provide community and connection among veterans.
Bell created his first #veteranwithasign post in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning in the U.S.
“I’ve done a lot of writing, and I’ve always had a love for language,” he said.
Bell’s writing has appeared in the New York Times “At War” blog, but he says it’s the pithy phrases written in Sharpie on cardboard that have resonated more than any of his other articles and essays.
Bell joined the Marines in 2007.
“I didn’t have any opportunities where I was. The military changed that for me,” he said.
He served as an infantry rifleman, deploying twice to Afghanistan and getting promoted to sergeant before leaving active-duty service in 2011.
Early signs included “Low fades win wars” and “Chili Mac is the best MRE.”
“I just came up with something, took a picture, put it up, shared it with my friends, and I just kept doing that,” he said. “The military has its own language, and everyone takes it too seriously. We’re actually pretty funny to make fun of.”
A month after his first post, Bell posted a sign that wasn’t intended to be funny. It read, “Bring back Captain Crozier.”
Capt. Brett Crozier, the former commanding officer of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, was relieved of command when he broke protocol by sending an e-mail that warned Navy leaders of a coronavirus outbreak onboard the aircraft carrier.
Bell thought it would be his last post.
“I had decided to shut it down. It was something fun I was doing during [the COVID] lockdown, and I figured it had run its course,” he explained.
But then ––
“My phone just started buzzing, and there were a ton of responses. That’s when I thought — this might really be something.”
The Instagram account grew from 300 to more than 1,000 followers in one night.
Bell realized he had a platform. People were listening.
If you start following the @veteranwithasign Instagram account, you’ll notice the tone of Bell’s signs varies from day to day, week to week. Some messages are crafted to evoke laughter from service members or veterans willing to poke fun at themselves.
But like a comedian, Bell says he never knows whether or not the joke will land.
“Sometimes I think a post will be received well and get a ton of engagement, and it falls flat, and sometimes I’m blown away by how many people connect to a post I didn’t put much thought into,” he said. “I never have any idea what will resonate with people.”
Other messages are intended to hit differently, such as “Some signs are obvious. Some aren’t.” and “Stay. You’re worth fighting for.”
Bell’s mission is advocating for access to mental healthcare and preventing suicide among the veteran community.
Read more: Fourth-generation veteran launches suicide prevention hotline and deployment team
“Something’s shifted from where these posts were meant to be funny, and now it’s like I have a responsibility,” he said.
Bell says the balance is important.
“Come for the humor — stay for the community. I beg people to look for more than the jokes. I want veterans to feel like they’re connected. That’s my goal.”
In August and September, his tone shifted more than ever.
As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan and thousands of Afghans fled their home country, Bell posted a photo of himself in uniform with a young Afghan girl. The image was from 2008, during his first deployment there.
“It was a departure for me, really putting myself out there. It was an open, cathartic moment.”
Bell recalls giving the young girl candy from his MRE and extra bottles of water.
“She reminded me of my child.”
More than 10 years after that picture was taken, Bell, a father of two daughters, says he still thinks of that girl often.
“I think about what she’s doing, whether she’s alive, whether she made it out of Afghanistan,” he said.
Bell says his Instagram posts will continue. There are more jokes to tell and more important work to be done to help take care of veterans.
“I’m just kind of riffing and monologuing,” he said, “and if you follow me on the journey, I’m sharing something important.”
Connect with Veteran With A Sign on Instagram.
