Chicago attorney Donald T. Rubin never spent a day in the military, but that doesn't stop him from showing admiration for U.S. troops who have returned from the Middle East.

Rubin remembers how personnel coming home from Vietnam weren't always given respect and gratitude. “I think what we learned from Vietnam is that you can hate the war but you shouldn't hate the soldier,” he said.

To that end, Rubin has devised a way for himself and others to simply say “thank you” to men and women who have served recently in distant conflicts.

“Most people don't understand that many of these guys are making $40 a week in the military and there's nothing to support their families with when they leave,” he said.

“Many of the families wind up on food stamps. So I thought there had to be a way for these guys to decompress and learn to be with their families again.”

Rubin decided he could best help by donating the use of his Door County house to a veteran and to encourage others to do the same. As a result, Robert Malik will be using that Wisconsin vacation home over the New Year's holiday.

Malik was an Army corporal in Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005. He was based in the town of Balad, which is in the middle of the Sunni Triangle. He also did a tour in Kosovo and Macedonia during 2002.

A junior in pre-med studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Malik hopes to go into orthopedics, and specialize in knee or ankle injuries.

Rubin's idea evolved last summer, while he and his wife were in Door County. He heard a television news report that many veterans from Iraq were facing social, psychological and financial difficulties.

His initiative, dubbed Operation Welcome Home, also involves houses in Orlando, Daytona Beach and Colorado. He hopes to put together a mixture of private homes and timeshares.

“Timeshares are nice for this program,” Rubin said, “because many people don't use theirs.” He anticipates a Web site for this program in time, but for now, the ambitious concept is spread by word of mouth.

A partner in Rubin & Norris who concentrates in real property taxation and appeals, Rubin is a member of the ISBA State and Local Taxation Section Council.

He has worked for the Wisconsin Depart-ment of Revenue and the Cook County states attorney's office, and he is president of the Illinois Property Tax Lawyers Association.

Rubin's plans for Operation Welcome Home involve the Door County Chamber of Commerce, the news media and service organizations. He seeks not only vacation home and timeshare donations, but also airline miles and gift certificates.

“It's nice to say that a grand house is awaiting a veteran somewhere,” he explained, “but what good is it if they don't have the travel money to get to it or go out for dinner?”

Rubin hopes to have the cooperation of the Department of Defense in verifying military service. “It's a matter of obtaining discharge papers that the person served in a certain area and was honorably discharged,” he said.

Active duty personnel cannot accept gifts valued at more than $20, so the program is limited to those on inactive duty. Rubin plans to make a presentation to the ISBA Committee on Military Affairs, which is looking into having that restriction waived.

Rob and Joanna Malik are looking forward to their vacation time in Door County and a wedding anniversary celebration. They were married on New Year's Eve before he was deployed to Iraq.

“This is really a great idea that Don came up with,” Malik said. “I hope that other veterans will have similar opportunities.”

If everything works out, Rubin will see Operation Welcome Home expanded nationwide so veterans can participate close to where they live.

He believes strongly that those who can, should give something back to the community. For several years, he has served as board president of Youth Outreach Services, a not-for-profit agency that provides substance abuse prevention, counseling and treatment programs.

“Lawyers probably donate hundreds of thousands of hours doing pro bono and charitable work, but the public seldom hears about it,” he said.