MERIDIAN, Idaho — Veterans share an unspoken bond that brings them together, regardless of the year or branch of their service. A barbershop in Meridian brought together three military veterans who are now creating a community for veterans.
“The whole design of the barber shop is rugged and refined. Just kind of that balance of what we are as men,” said Trevor Hill, the owner of Barclay & Hill.
Hill said he tried to open a barbershop about a decade ago, but had a tough time getting it going.
“So, I kind of refer to that as my failure and my success because that led to then being able to do this,” Hill said.
Hill enlisted in the Army in 1999 then later transferred to the Marine Corps, serving until 2005. Years later, his military career can be seen in the values of this shop which made it a success.
“I would say there is a sense of pride of just being able to have served my country and then transition to now serving people in a different capacity,” Hill said.
As many veterans know, that transition from active duty to civilian life can be tough.
“You get out of the military and your rank and your medals, none of that really matters anymore. So, you kind of have a little bit of an identity crisis and you go through this whole process of not reinventing yourself but finding who you were before you got out,” Hill said.
That journey is something Hill shares with his co-workers, all three barbers at Barclay & Hill are military veterans.
Barber Brandon Wilson served in the Marine Corp for 11 and a half years.
“I did supply administration, I did a few deployments doing that, and then I was a combat instructor. So, I taught infantry skills to non-infantry marines,” Wilson said.
Wilson jokes that a lot of tools from his military days, like rocket launchers, grenades, and weapons systems are definitely a change of pace from his current collection of razors and trimmers.
What started out as a necessity for the team at Barclay & Hill became a passion.
“I started out cutting hair, just as the other guys did, in the service. I did basically barracks cuts which is basically where someone forgot to get a haircut and it’s late Sunday night and you make an attempt to cut their just so they don’t get in trouble,” Wilson said.
Barclay & Hill barber Stephen VanDoren joined the Army in 2005 and still serves with the National Guard. He too began clipping hair during his time in the service.
“I had an old Vietnam barber box with the clippers that you used with your hand and I think it pulled more hair than it cut,” VanDoren said.
Working alongside other veterans comes with an unspoken understanding.
“When you know you are in the presence of people with similar experiences you feel safe,” VanDoren said.
That bond and shared values creates a strong workplace environment.
“There is kind of just that commonality of core values: honors, courage, commitment, respect and just a certain level of trust,” Hill said.
The name of the shop is a tribute to the man that helped mentor Trevor Hill, a man named Stu Barclay.
“In a way of paying homage to my father-in-law who is also a veteran and served in Vietnam as a Navy fighter pilot. I decided to name the barbershop Barclay and Hill,” he explained.
The aesthetic inside the shop recalls memories of men from a different time. ‘Savage gentlemen’ Hill calls them, those who are rugged when required but a gentleman in every way.
Hill chose each piece inside the shop, including three barber chairs that are each over 100 years old. All restored to immaculate shape.
From the name down to every detail inside, the trio agrees the shop brings back great memories.
“Most veterans miss the camaraderie, they don’t miss the day to day nonsense so much. Definitely shooting the crap with your friends having a good time, giving each other a hard time and bustin’ each other up, Saturdays get pretty wild in there,” Wilson.
That bond is not exclusive to the barbers here.
“Yeah we have a lot of veterans that come in here from all branches of service,” Hill said.
The conversations with veterans in the barber chair are always special.
“It’s always about service. When I get an old-time vet from Vietnam or someone who served before me, you talk about what they went through and what their experience was like. You think, man how crazy was that,” VanDoren said.
The bond between veterans is always a special one.
“It’s nice to be able to instantly relate to someone and especially when they feel like they are remembering stories that they haven’t talked about in a while, that’s my favorite time. Being around other veterans there is a lot of things you don’t remember because you block it out for one reason or another and then you remember it was actually kind of funny and it wasn’t such a bad time, it just sucked at the time,” Wilson said.
It’s that community that makes Barclay & Hill special.
“You know it’s like, what unit were you in or where did you serve or what was your job in the military and you just kind of find those connections. They come in as a stranger and leave as a friend,” Hill said.
To learn more about Barclay & Hill, click here.
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