The last three weeks we’ve featured articles about veterans telling their stories. So far World War II, the Korean War and Operation Iraqi Freedom have been covered. There are still three more to go.
If I did not think veterans weren’t already “super heroes,” I sure do now. These men and women deserve the very best of everything. The best pay, the best benefits and absolutely positively the best health care.
The men I have spoken with have told me stories that have had me laughing and some that have broken my heart. People watch war movies on television or in the movie theater and think fighting and/or “playing” with the various guns and military weapons may be fun. However there is no fun and games when it comes to war.
As I have reflected on these interviews I am starting to understand why soldiers suffer from PTSD and even why veterans’ suicides have been increasing. Not only from the horrors they have witnessed but also the transition from what they witnessed and how they had to live to adjusting to home life.
I could not imagine having to sleep day after day for months at a time with basically one eye and ear opened for any impending attacks. Or to live life constantly tensed and full of adrenaline, even during down time. It has to be hard being separated from home knowing all of the things going on and have to live life unaffected but focused on the job at hand, all the while knowing they want to be sitting around the dinner table at that birthday party.
To the non-military person, it may seem like the answer to deal with the mindset of a soldier is to just love on him or her. Unfortunately the love the military needs is more than just hugs and kisses. It’s understanding the times when solitude is needed or when the nightmares strike. It’s the understanding that you cannot expect a soldier who was last week fighting on the front line to come home and immediately have a life where all that is needed is to mow the grass. The mindset will not change like that. Relaxation is not going to simply be sitting in the recliner enjoying a good movie. As hard as it is sometimes the best thing is being supportive and not push but allow space so our servicemen can adapt to life at home again.
Do not expect everything to be normal once the soldier comes home, and please do not push it. If the serviceman is having a hard time adjusting, please encourage them to get help. Not only that, but suggest he or she join the American Legion or V.F.W. It will allow like-minded people to talk and lift each other up. The men and women in those organizations have been there and understand what the soldier has gone through.
The American Legion Post 90 in Columbia recently launched a fundraiser to build a monument to honor all veterans. I love the idea. Veterans are only honored on Veterans Day, but they deserve so much more. Most places have memorials for soldiers whose lives were lost during the wars, but not so many have monuments to honor that ones who came home. These men and women may have come home, but a lot of them came home scarred.
To help pay for the monument, brick pavers are being sold for $100 to honor veterans. The serviceman’s name and military information will be engraved on the pavers to forever thank the soldier for a job well done. I am definitely doing one for my father, but in truth if I can afford it, I need to do a total of three.
Purchase a paver as a special way to say thank you to these men and women. If you do not have a family member to honor, donate to the cause so someone who may not afford a paver could purchase one or just donate period. Once the monument is built bring your children and grandchildren and show them your family’s pavers to encourage them to honor and respect their heritage and also our veterans.
Susan Amundson is managing editor of The Columbian-Progress. She may be reached at (601) 736-2611 or samundson@columbianprogress.com.
