Honoring & Appreciating Veterans who put their Lives & Mental Health At Risk

By Merely Me Wednesday, November 11, 2009

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Hello everyone!

It is Veteran's Day here in the U.S. and I wanted to share a few things with you and also share my personal reflections of what this day means to me.

First of all I wanted to share a very special card that My Depression Connection member Paul received from a grand niece and her kindergarten class. Paul had served in Vietnam and you may read my interview with Paul here.

Here is the inside of the card Paul received and he wanted to share it with all the Veteran's out there. THANK YOU PAUL!

I also wanted to share our Health Central page devoted to helping Veteran's who may suffer from depression. You may view this page about mental health and Veterans here.

On this day I want to also remember those people who recently lost their lives in the Fort Hood tragedy. Our sympathies go to all the families who lost their loved one.

Every Veteran's Day I do think of my father. He is long since deceased but he served in the Korean war long ago. One of the few items I have of him (he died when I was four and I don't have many photos or momentos of him) is his collection of World War II paperback books about this war. Every now and then I take them out and think about what he was thinking when he was alive. I really wish I knew more about him.

Are you a Veteran or do you have a loved one or friend who is a Veteran? Please give a shout out here with any messages you wish to send. If you have any stories, poems, images please do share those as well.

From Health Central and My Depression Connection we wish to thank our Veterans and people serving in our military for all you do to keep us safe from harm. Thank you very much!

Understanding Combat Stress and PTSD

Comments (8) | Add comment

CJinLV

11/11/09 12:33pm

Hi M/M,

LOVE the card! As you probably know by now, I have a very special place in my heart for those who serve(d) regardless of their duties, as I never did/could.

My Dad (he died in 1999) was a photo officer on a B-29 squadron stationed in Guam during WW2. My fondest memories when I was younger were us looking at his old photos (many of the spectacular), listening to his stories & 'staying up' with him so we could watch old war movies together.

I'm SO happy to see the appreciative gestures shown this Veteran's Day! Thank YOU for the special posting, too! Here in Las Vegas, the casinos have gotten together & are giving free meals (all day) to all Vets; some on Wednesday, others next Monday.

May God bless them & their families & their loved ones...AND our country!

rose martin

11/11/09 12:44pm

Happy Veterans Day from Ireland, Paul I didnt know you were a Veteran. I have great admiration for anyone who goes to War for their Country. My Grandpa who reared me fought the Germans in the Battle of the Somme, He was in the Cavalry, as he was a great horseman. Thank God for all those men and women who risk life, limb and mind to fight for their Country.

Paul

11/13/09 2:13pm

Rose, my Dad was in WWI too, can't say where though, I never knew.

Hey! When I got out of training my first outfit was the 1st Infantry Division, in Kansas and I was in an outfit called the 4th Cavalry...

Truth is, I never did see a horse! I would have loved that. Thanks, Rose.

rose martin

11/13/09 4:37pm

Hi Paul, We dont have Veterans Day here as such.. Knowing what I do, now, about the awful conditions, the lack of proper ammunition etc., that the British Army had against the germans, the awful slaughter [2 of his brothers were killed] and how they put the young and the poor and the uneducated up at the frontline.. it was a dreadful war. Flanders, and other places, he suffered great anxiety and panic and OCD which we now know of course was PTSD.

That's interesting about your Father, you could aways look it up online and find out all the details. I enjoyed that film 12th July. Hope you had a good veterans Day Paul and that youre taking care of yourself.

Judy

11/11/09 2:07pm

Thank you to all the veterans and to everyone who is actively serving. We can never appreciate enough the sacrifices they and their families have made.

My dad was in WWII in the 10th Mountain Division and they have a group of veterans who get together a couple of times a year. I'm glad he has that because I never heard him talk about his experiences in the war except that he got shot in the arm and the bullet went through his shirt pocket when it exited. Then, last May, I spent the day with him while my mother was having surgery and he started talking about it, saying he remembered being on a table among many inside a tent and that the floor was muddy with blood. I said it sounded like something from "MASH" and he said that's exactly how it was.

Sometimes I wonder if he didn't have PTSD - he had (and still does) an explosive temper over the slightest things, but I don't know how he was before he went into the Army. I know they say that it's hard for veterans to talk about what it was like, that unless you were there, you couldn't understand. I believe that and I'm glad they're trying to do so much more to help the returning vets than they used to. They shouldn't have to suffer for the rest of their lives from the effects of serving our country.

fifi

11/11/09 2:32pm

Hi everyone!

It's Armistice day here in Britain as well.

Thanks to all the soldiers who protect our countries and all their families and all those who put their lives on the line for us.

I have a nephew who has fought in Afghanistan a few times, and also a brother in law who has served in the falklands, my nephews truck went over a landmine, luckily he only had loss of hearing and minor cuts, but the soldier alongside him lost his leg. I remember how distraught his mum was and the rest of the family because it was a while before they knew exactly how bad he was hurt.It brings it home to you how easily you can lose your loved ones out there and how frightened their families must be for them. So thanks again for all that you do.

11/11/09 3:54pm

It's 11:45 pm here in Babil Province, Iraq as I write this. This is my fourth deployment, but first time to Iraq as a civilian contractor. I'm embedded and advising a unit that just arrived here a few weeks ago and has not seen action yet. My thoughts are with the men and women that are over here for the first time. They don't know it yet, but the deployment will change them all in little ways - some good and some bad.

Do a veteran a favor and let him or her tell their war stories. Listen without judging. You may not understand it all, but they all have something to share.

Paul

11/11/09 8:22pm

Being a basic, run of the mill, veteran among the millions not only here, but as some other commenters and friends point out, in so many countries, I was very much surprised to receive that card.

Truthfully, when I saw the school's name on the envelope, I figured someone was soliciting funds! So it was surprising and, touching to see that card from a member of my family.

I thought it, then, a card for all the veterans who struggle with everyday life, all over the country. There are many men and women veterans in the making even now. Next Memorial Day we will honor those who never made it that far, but today, I do honor those men and women who did and thank them.

It is nice of teachers to pass on that tribute to our children, and to work such an industrious project through to completion, especially among kindergarten kids. It couldn't have been easy!

Thanks for remembering the day, Merely Me, and Health Central.

Honoring & Appreciating Veterans who put their Lives & Mental Health At Risk

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