When veterans meet up, they always ask: What Branch? When and where did you serve? What was your MOS or rate?
Just the basics. But now we know something of the experience that person had when serving their country. We envy the guy who had Embassy duty in Italy and feel remorse for those who served on the front line of an infantry unit.
Almost without exception, a veteran in a moment of truth will tell you that their service changed them in many ways. Their service got them out of their home towns, allowed them to see the world, experience other cultures, and to grow up.
Vietnam veterans faced the dread of being drafted, which drove many to enlist sooner. (There were more choices for enlistees than draftees.) Some joined because even at a young age they were at a dead-end. There were other reasons for their serving as well.
The 21st-century warriors are an all-volunteer military. Following 9-11 and the attack on America, the young men and women came to America’s defense just as they have done for the 212 years before that day.
There are differences and similarities in all wars. Have you ever asked a group of veterans what those differences are? Are they willing to tell you their experience? Many veterans, except those who served in a combat infantry unit, feel their service didn’t amount to much. I am as guilty as the next on that. How could a sailor who never had a shot fired in their direction ever have played a significant role in a combat zone? How could all the desk jockeys in Saigon have played a role? What about the story of a friend who sat for months nose to nose with Russian tanks in West Berlin? Or the Alabama friend who spent the majority of his service in the Antarctic? The answer is they all played a role. How will we ever know those stories if we don’t ever get them to tell the story of their military experience?
What if one day a grandchild were to ask their parent, “Mom, what did grandpa do in the war?” Mom would respond, “I don’t really know. He would never talk about it, and he never wrote about it, so we don’t know.”
Why is it so difficult for veterans to tell their stories? Is it the fear of finding “triggers” that one wishes to keep in the past? Could be! But I think it is also the fear of writing it down. It’s also a concern of “why should I do that. Nobody cares!”
Leland VFW Post 12196 and the Veterans Creative Arts Program are planning a class, starting in September 2025, to help area veterans with that. Date, time, and location are still being worked out with the site sponsor.
In conjunction with that class, we are also planning a course on the History of Our Wars (i.e. Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Enduring Freedom).
If you are interested in participating in these programs, contact Gerald Decker at
[email protected] or call 910-338-6261. We are considering hybrid classes for those unable to attend a classroom setting. For more details on VFW Post 12196 go to https://vfwpost12196.org/.
The Veterans Creative Arts Program has a series of classes coming up during the summer and fall. Please check their web site for details. www.veteranscreativearts.org
For more information about the program, contact Cammeron Batanides at [email protected].
