It’s well-known that many military veterans returning from combat suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a condition that disrupts their lives and the lives of their families and friends — and leads to increased suicide rates. G48MNE7G5V5E
My tai chi teacher in Ashland, Oregon, Gene Burnett, is a talented musician and songwriter who recently released a collaborative video featuring his song “If There Was a Wall” that draws attention primarily to the struggles of Vietnam veterans, but also to those of all combat veterans.
My family members who have served in the U.S. military:
- My grandfather, John Soares, fought in France with the army in World War One. He had immigrated to the United States from the Azores Islands (Portugal) a few years earlier.
- My father, John Severin Soares, served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War Two.
- My oldest brother, Eric Soares, served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during and after the Vietnam War.
- My niece, Kasey Brown, currently serves in the U.S. Navy aboard the destroyer USS Bainbridge.
To all who have served in the military: Thank You.
Thanks for posting this John. War is always more expensive than it seems. Hopefully, this will shed just a little light on one of those costs…
Gene, you did such a fantastic job with this. I think it’s very important for us all to realize that the costs of war are far higher than just military spending.
Hi John,
Great Post my friend. My father: John Jefferson Morgan served in the U.S. Army in Germany during World War II.
John,
Thanks for mentioning family members who have served or are serving in the military. It means a lot to me.
Eric
Very nice remembrance John! I lived in Brussels, Belgium during WW2
and my father fought WW1 … I think of all people of the world subjected to wars … let’s quit having enemies OK?
Utopian thinking … not at all, after centuries of fighting wars in Europe they have been able to establish a different system, far from perfect … true,
but reasonable people can disagree without wasting lives and treasure.
Fran 🙂
John, thanks. Most vets are pretty normal people, not much different than anyone else. So it’s nice to recognize them once a year!
Thanks, John. The aggravating thing about PTSD is that it is always there. You can realize it and deal with it, but you can’t ever ignore it – frustrating.