Welcoming Home Those Who Served Erika Curran

I'm sorry, Darren, but I'm at work and can't watch your 48 minute video. I do think it's wonderful that people are making available strategies for helping military families during such stressful and heartbreaking times. I can't believe that for a country with so much emphasis on the military, we value their wellness, and that of their support systems (family) so little.

thank you shannon I and other here at gather are working on more comdenced way of gitting info out. Erika Curran passed on and now others must step up and play their part.

Hi Shannon, I just wanted to add my pov on your comment with regards to value of military and veteran wellness and support systems.  There are a lot of new programs to address this very subject in recent years, both through the government and the private sector, plus the multitudes of incredible nonprofits and volunteers that don't always get in the limelight.  While too late for previous generations, I think people are finally starting to "get it."  The help is there but it doesn't always get noticed by the people who needed.

I've posted many of these agencies before, and should make a habit of posting them regularly.  Here is an excellent link as an example of the many people willing to help and always could use more volunteers. ;)

Darren,

Am trying to comment but that ding dong orange circle thingy that started popping up after the last upgrade is giving me headaches - even after refresh and reload. So, here I am making an off topic comment on a comment.

I'm glad you have brought this up and I hope to be able to do more than skim in the next couple of days (maybe even some tonight). It's good work. Thanks for doing this article.

I've posted many of these agencies before, and should make a habit of posting them regularly. Here is an excellent link as an example of the many people willing to help and always could use more volunteers. ;)

Cathi,

This is a good link ... looks like lots of practical things on first glance. How did I miss this in your stuff? No matter, I've seen it now. :)

sorry about the tech. i'm working with cathi to find places were libs and consevs can work together to help rather then just fussing..;] we can still fuss but there are some biger fish to fry. thank you.

A worthwhile project that would benefit many to get involved in.  :)

I hope they are sucessful soon in getting this program, with the retreats; into all areas of the country. When they mentioned the lingering hypervigilance of vietnam vets, reminded me of one of my friends; who's a number of years older than myself. When I've been over at his house, he still notices every little sound inside or outside the house.   He had to tell his wife to be careful how she woke him up for a while after he came home, to wake him up by shaking his foot; and not his shoulder. She woke him up by shaking his shoulder once, and he ended up throwing her on the floor accidently; really scared them both.

that was a helpful comment Ellen a resource list of commen mistakes and how tos would be good. if you have writen anything like that i woudl love to link it in to the main body of work.

Thanks for the compliment Darren, very nice of you. I haven't written any articles like that on gather, or anywhere else. I'm not too knowlegable about the issue actually; I've just heard bits of stories here and there from my friend I mentioned, as well as my parents; because they both had friends that served in vietnam- and were either killed or came back with a lot of issues. If I ever did write an article pertaining to how to help returning vets, or one because someone told me their story of what they experienced; then I'd be flattered if you'd want to link to it.

every little bit helps.

I can ask my parents to tell me about one of their friends in paticular, and write about it; I can't unfortunately talk to the guy directly- he ended up comitting suicide some years after he came home.

Ellen, if you did, I'd love it if you'd include my group when posting.

Michael Yon

:)

Sure Cathi, going to join now

this is really great! it's not really stuff you would think about otherwise!

its good to get out do you think you might have a POV from Can?

to be honest this is something i have never heard about, and I'm fascinated because it seems like such a necessary part of these people's lives, you would think that helping the families when the soldiers return home was just be a given. the army is somewhat of a hidden element in canada...it's kind of like fight club :p

do you know how your system adis its vets

i know you have universal health, but do you ever note any complaints?

One of my friends is a Viet Nam Veteran Navy Corpsman who lost both legs in service.  He is a veteran advocate and writes a column in the local newspaper.  He helps people weave through the "system".

John

i got some heavy hiter on this other thread you thunk you might have somthing to ad?

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977687483

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is neither a myth nor a laughing matter.  And it takes many forms.  I can give one example:  a Viet Nam veteran who spent years in rehab suffered flashbacks frequently, and they are more real than the most vivid dream one can imagine.  He found the hard way that PTSD, particularly in his case, did not mix well with alcohol.  A disparaging word would bring on a flashback and violent reaction, at least on one occasion leading to a confrontation with police, handcuffs, and involuntary stay at a mental health institution.  The fact that Viet Nam veterans were often not treated as heros certainly didn't help.

The fact that Viet Nam veterans were often not treated as heros certainly didn't help.

Such a national disgrace ... I was young (in years as well as maturity level I think) at the time and clueless too, sadly; but as I got older and over the years since then I can see how some of the --- hmmm --- protest and angst over the war spilled over into unwarranted, ignorantly hateful behavior toward our young military men of the time.

The welcome home most of them received absolutely contributed to how and sometimes whether they were able to ... to what? To .. reintegrate? To .. ... well, I don't have a word for it. But since it was your comment to begin with I think you know what I'm trying to say, mmm?

JOHN BECK May 24, 2009, 7:04am EDT
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is neither a myth nor a laughing matter. And it takes many forms. I can give one example: a Viet Nam veteran who spent years in rehab suffered flashbacks frequently, and they are more real than the most vivid dream one can imagine. He found the hard way that PTSD, particularly in his case, did not mix well with alcohol. A disparaging word would bring on a flashback and violent reaction, at least on one occasion leading to a confrontation with police, handcuffs, and involuntary stay at a mental health institution. The fact that Viet Nam veterans were often not treated as heros certainly didn't help.

this time there was a effert by the anti war movement to not hold the troop respounsable for what happend. but we are still having truble with a national dialog over our collective respounsability. How do we ascess political crime if it happens? i think this lack of clerity add to the emotional trauma. My uncle gets drunk and depressed and its always the same story for him.

"What did I do?" you nor i can answer that for him nor fully fully for our selves

There IS a significant difference between the way troops were treated during Vietnam and how they are viewed now.  That being said, there are still hold-outs with that mind set and we need to work harder to prevent this.

Here is one person on Gather who has personally been affected by this:

I Was SPIT On!!!

Apparently, I Deserved to Be Spit On....

No HONOR in DISHONORING Our Troops!

Utterly Shocked... And Thinking Of Leaving Gather...

I know my own son and his friends have had similar treatment.  Plus the activities of the following on military recruiters:

April 2006: UC Santa Cruz students ambushed military recruiters. Vandals at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tossed cans of red paint in front of an ROTC office and spray-painted vulgarities all over its doors. University of Minnesota students splattered red paint all over an Army recruiting station.

December 2006: Protesters in Lawrence, Kansas crippled business at an Army/Navy recruitment center, where workers' car tires were slashed and bomb-proof glass had to be installed.

January 2007: Pittsburgh protestors shut down a recruitment station for a day, wielding signs calling recruiters `child predators'.

March 2007: Vandals broke into a Milwaukee recruitment station wielding crowbars.

July 2007: A protestor in Bremerton, Wash., slashed tires of Army recruiting vehicles to protest the Iraq war because he `hated the military'. In Maryland, vandals smashed a Rockville Air Force career center. In Lufkin, Texas, Navy recruiters were the targets of vandals who keyed their cars, smashed their windows and shot at their vehicles with `what appeared to be a high-powered pellet gun.'

August 2007: In Stamford, Conn., a protestor twice left a fake bomb package at a military recruitment office.

September 2007: An anti-war group calls on followers to commit fraud to interfere with military recruiters. Anti-war protestors shut down the Times Square recruitment station.

October 2007: An anti-war group defaces the Berkeley recruitment office.

January 2008: Protesters chain themselves to the Berkeley recruiting center to shut it down, and vandalize the windows with bloody handprints and signs branding recruiters `death pimps'.

February 2008: Vandals trash the recruiting station at 14th and L Streets in Washington, DC, which has been subjected to multiple attacks.

I'm not naive to think that there aren't some recruiters don't lie in their tactics.  But there are honest recruiters out there and shouldn't be held responsible for the bad apples.  Plus this is their job.  We have been short on troops, hence the number of multiple deployments and short recovery times for individuals.  We've got ivy league colleges banning recruiters from their property and a city in California (Berkeley) issuing parking permits to Code Pinkers to be able to take up multiple spaces directly in front of recruitment centers.  The same group proud of defiling and shutting down these same centers.

These are good artical

but they need the flags removed

... its like hiding

 it all over again.

It is.  I clearly remember that first picture.  The guy with the flag didn't intend it as symbolic but the photo sure says a lot.

I'll send a note to the Gather person.  You've got a very valid point and this shouldn't be hidden.  Our military doesn't deserve this.

Thanks for sharing Erika Curran's program, Darren. There are some basic truths about our treatment of veterans that we need to recognize:

1. Our treatment of vets since WW II has been shabby because there is a general attitude in Congress that it costs too much.

2. Even those who support quality health care for vets have not agreed on what constitutes "quality health care for vets".

3. The definitions of quality care that have been agreed upon give less attention to mental health for a number of reasons - some cultural and some medical.

As an example, the VA is finally spending millions on developing the first new prosthetic arm since WW II because of the number of IUD injuries in Iraq. It is hard to think of a comparable initiative to deal with a major mental health problem. Our vets deserve our best, but they are not getting our best yet from Congress or the VA.

There has been some improvement, but we are a long way from "the best".

we certainly don't do enough for our vets....

Actually, I think the military is finally putting forth the effort needed.  Plus there is much cooperation between military and civilian medical teams.  The issues are to keep the research up-to-date, well funded and effective, plus ingrain understanding of this type of injury into military culture.

Actually, they are putting forth just enough effort to placate the public. Every American should keep their elected representatives feet to the fire on Veterans Issues.  Never forget that our DoD IGNORED Agent Orange exposure until Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Zumwalt's own son died from it almost ten years after being exposed and REFUSED treatment!

I'd echo your statement of putting our elected representatives feet to the fire on Veterans Issues, wholeheartedly.  But I still see a drastic improvement now over what our Vietnam vets when through, and even a major improvement over just a couple of years ago.  Could it be better?  Always, but they are engaging the civilian medical profession and research organizations with a concerted effort on exchanging information for the benefit of the Vets.

I agree with jJack we dont do enough for our vets... These people pass and present are the ones who gave us our freedoms but yet so many times, they get lost in the system... I feel bad that they arent treated better... we need to do so much more for these men and woman and help in some ways to help their families who are left here.... there is so much stress in these peoples lives... we are failing them by making cuts to their benefits... etc...

vickey 

do you have any time to give?

yes, I do have a little free time...

ok if cathi dos not get back to you with a task i will ping you.

I'll get back to you, I just need to put it together!  Thank you, Vickie!

Your welcome Cathi.....

Interesting post.  It even stayed on thread which is rare when talking about veterans on gather.

Unsure if anyone had heard of this but given the loss rate in the current war, all troops KIA are getting autopisies and CAT scans.  This has turned up some things they wouldn't have found out because of an inablity to test.  For example, they have found out that American troops are somewhat larger than only a generation ago and the device used to reinflate a collpased lung wasn't long enough to get to the lung.  They also found out points the armor didn't protect fully.  Those two areas alone have resulted in redesigns that have saved many lives.

As a nation we often have not done right by our servicemen.  At least the last few decades the efforts have been increased to do so.  I'm unsure if it is possbile to ever get it perfect but htere is a move to try and improve the care they recieve.