The Forum

By Jen Sheetz

The Second Conversations Project on Wednesday, November 7th, was the second in the five lecture series for the 2007-2008 year. This program was titled “Honoring our Veterans: Theory and Practice” and focused on the experiences our service members have in the military, but more importantly as they reenter society after deployment.

The panel bridged a broad assortment of perspectives from Earl McDowell, who spoke of his experiences with the U.S. Marine Corps in Vietnam and subsequent time with the National Guard. Currently Earl is actively involved with the Portage Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Captain Nathan Harlan of the United States Army and the National Guard spoke of his experiences being deployed in Iraq. Jill Carley, Director of Programs for the Illinois & Indiana Veterans Administration Clinic, spoke to the mental health challenges her clients, and how the VA is looking to address their needs as well as support them through housing assistance, if necessary. Moderated by Chris Buckley, a VU Law Student and former member of the U.S. Marine Corps, panelists spoke to the difference between serving today, versus during the Vietnam conflict and relative peace time.

Captain Harlan spoke directly to his experiences with health care, and the need to receive services for hearing loss, and stress. He related that while Walter Reed Army Medical Center was a state of the art medical facility, prior to 9/11/2001, Walter was already scheduled to be closed in 2009. This decision was made in order to focus resources on expanding the National Naval Medical in Bethesda, Maryland. Therefore when operations began in Afghanistan and Iraq, Walter Reed needed to focus on soldier care, and the facilities were overwhelmed. Captain Harlan’s wife was a nurse at Walter Reed, and stationed there for five months with the Army. In Captain Harlan’s personal experience he relayed the time elapsed since experiencing a hearing loss of 50% in one ear from an explosion next to his vehicle in Iraq fourteen months ago, to now just recently seeing a doctor in Indiana for examination on the condition.

Jill Carley addressed the challenges the VA Clinics have in addressing the breadth and depth of issues experienced by veterans. Not only do veterans experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), they also have a high likelihood to experience other “less serious” afflictions such as depression, anxiety, survivor guilt, and substance abuse. Until recently, the VA was unable to fully address the stages of substance abuse problems. If patients wanting treatment came to the clinic drunk, they were told to go home and dry out. If they could stay sober for a week to prove they really wanted to change, then the clinic would find a program to place them in for treatment. Policies have now changed such that if a veteran comes to the VA, they will be seen and placed for care upon going the clinic. Chris Buckley expanded upon soldiers’ feelings of survivor guilt, saying this sometimes is the worst of untreated issues since a soldier may have lived through combat, but fellow soldiers and friends did not. This guilt stays with a person throughout life with questions of “Why me?” or, “Why did I live and so-and-so did not?” and, “Why is my life more important than someone else’s?”—questions all resulting in depression. Often the only people able to identify with these feelings are other veterans, and so to capitalize upon these networks can be fundamental to a soldiers’ well being and healing.

Earl McDowell then stated how the VFW makes efforts to support soldiers in just his fashion by providing a safe place for fellowship and recreation. They also ask at every meeting if anyone knows of a comrade in distress, so that the community can help that person in their day-to-day life. Sometimes this means taking a collection to pay a NIPSCO bill. Other times it may be health bills that are so overwhelming, the family has no money for food. The VFW also conducts a community service projects, such as Toys for Tots, every holiday season.

The audience included community members from the American Legion, and VFWs in Valparaiso, Chesterton, Porter and Portage. Students with personal service, as well as those with family members serving, were actively engaged in exchanging stories of their experience as well as asking questions of the panelists. A common theme among tables was that of gratitude to those who did serve, as well as a desire to support families with returning soldiers.

All Conversations Project Events are held in the Christopher Center Community Room at 7pm and are free and open to the public. Following the presentation and conversation, a reception is provided. Upcoming events in 2008 are: 35 Years of Roe v. Wade: Commemorate or Commiserate on Tuesday, January 22nd. Super Tuesday Spin Doctors: Lessons from the Primaries on Wednesday, January 30th. Forty Years Gone: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Many Guises of Prejudice on Thursday April 3rd.

For further information, contact Professor Jeremy Telman, VU Law School, 465-7811 or Jeremy.Telman@valpo.edu.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 10th, 2007 at 3:56 pm and is filed under News.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.