Some of the oldest stories from all cultures are about those who are called to preserve and protect what is SACRED to them: the safety of the community, the country, their people. This a reciprocal relationship.  But what if the reciprocity is incomplete? Are we in the community holding up our end of the bargain?

How can citizens truly support and help heal our Veterans from the invisible wounds of war?

 While we are at the grocery store, or texting a friend, or watching a ballgame, attending religious services or taking a shower, someone in our military is in harm’s way, being subjected to unrelenting stress, and perhaps being wounded or killed. And not all of the wounds are visible.  It is estimated that at least 30% of returning Veterans–thousands– will meet the criteria for combat stress injury,  PTSD.  But none will return unchanged. Our country is at war.

 The invisible wounds are those of the spirit, the identity, the very soul, that are created when a person is wounded by what he or she has experienced…witnessed…had to do…lost. We all can participate in acknowledging these wounds, giving them honor and dignity.

As they who protect and guard us are being wounded, so too are we citizens. Our entire country is at war. By ministering to the wounds of our Veterans, we can tend and help heal the wounds of our nation and our society.

Citizens can tend the wounds by being ready to receive our veterans, providing and assuring that our communities feel like a safe place to come home to. We can create a culture of compassion in which healing can take root. This can be done in many ways, but one of the most profound is in truly hearing the stories of the experiences of those who have returned from war, listening deeply to the pain and the suffering without turning away. As we engage in this kind of hearing and deep listening, we can begin to transfer and share the burdens and responsibility for actions taken during warfare. 

“Our Veterans cannot heal unless society accepts responsibility for its war-making. To the Veteran, our leaders and people must say, ‘You did this in our name, because you were subject to our orders, and because we put you in untenable situations. We lift the burden of your actions from you  and take it onto our shoulders. We are responsible for you…’ “-Edward Tick

We cannot continue with business as usual. We must actively engage in healing our Veterans so that all of us can heal.

MAGGOTS AND GOLD

Create a village as strong as a war

To pick the maggots off my skin

And burnish the gold that lies within

This will renew the strength of my sacred core.

Can we create a village as strong as a war?

JACK McLEAN USMC, Vietnam Veteran

Yes, we can.

 Join us at the monthly Just Listening circle meetings to participate in the kind of healing that only the community of those who are protected and guarded can provide.

AND PLEASE CONTACT US AND JOIN US TO LEARN OF THE MANY OTHER WAYS 

YOUCAN HELP

10. OIF stands for Operation Iraqi Freedom, also known as the Iraq War, and it began on
March 20th, 2003. OEF stands for Operation Enduring Freedom and is a multinational
military operation aimed at dismantling terrorist groups, mostly in Afghanistan. It
officially commenced on Oct. 7, 2001 in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks;

9. Returning Service Members do not think of themselves as heroes, no matter how
extraordinary their skills, courage, or actions may be. Their heroes are the ones still over
there or coming home in a flag-draped boxes;

8. Service Members are as varied in their political beliefs as everyone else in America.
Some are adamantly against the war, others staunchly support it, and everyone else falls
somewhere in between. Assuming that everyone who joins the military is a card-carrying
right-winger will only make you look stupid;

7. No matter what his or her opinions about the war are, every Service Member of every
branch of the military takes a solemn oath to support and follow our Commander In Chief,
the President of the United States, and therefore cannot say anything derogatory about
him;

6. No one can describe how hot it was while deployed in a war zone, so don’t ask a
returning Vet about the heat. Instead, imagine yourself putting on every piece of winter
gear you own, in multiple layers, putting a metal bowl over your head, turning your oven
on to 120 degrees, climbing inside, and living there for 6 months;

5. Worse still is asking any Veteran, “Did you kill anyone?” It is an unanswerable question.
Perhaps she did and wished she hadn’t. Perhaps he didn’t and wished he had. Perhaps
she did, but it wasn’t fast enough to prevent a comrade’s death. Perhaps it was
accidental or perhaps it was so many instances of killing, he lost count. War requires
things of us and taps into parts of us that are never otherwise touched-things most
people need to work through or want to forget. US military personnel do not take killing
lightly, and anyone who has not been there simply cannot discuss it with those who have,
much less pass judgment. Listen quietly if they choose to talk about it, but otherwise,
leave it alone;

4. OIF/OEF Veterans often want to go back to the war zone. Sometimes it’s because they
feel called to go in to finish the mission or support their buddies, sometimes it’s because
they feel they can no longer fit in to American society and its frivolous interests and fads.
But regardless of reason, it is fairly common, so if they tell you they’re planning on
redeploying, please don’t look at them as if they are insane

3. They are exhausted when they get home-physically, psychologically, emotionally, and
spiritually exhausted. They often do not have the energy or focus to talk for long periods
of time. It will take some time for them to adjust, so follow their lead;

2. There is nothing black-and-white about what has happened to them. Almost always,
there are good things that come from a deployment experience. Likewise, there are
some pretty difficult things that they face once they are back home. Do not make any
assumptions about their experiences;

And the # 1 thing you should know about OIF/OEF Veterans are…

1. They are not the same people they were before they deployed. But do not assume that
is a bad thing. The Service Member may come home more confident, with better
problem-solving skills. He may return with a deeper sense of gratitude for the comforts
that he used to take for granted or she may have found a greater sense of purpose and
direction than she ever had before. Yes, there may be many unseen wounds of the soul
and spirit. But there are tremendous resources to help heal those wounds, both for the
Service Member and the Service Member’s family, and an ever growing number of
people who truly care and want to help.

If every American understood these 10 important facts about our returning Veterans, life
would be a lot easier for them. So pass it on.
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