November 14, 2012
Page 20
Ghosts of Combat Haunt Every Warrior
Vietnam Vet discusses ways to help
No matter how well-adjusted return
ing or returned veterans appear, they are
likely carrying wounds that cut deep, and
that pain sticks with them for the
rest of their lives, says Vietnam
veteran Ord Elliott.
“When I came back from the
war, I filed all that pain away as
‘personal,’ but it invariably came
out in my creative writing, and I
think that kept me much more sane,”
says Elliott, a former platoon com
mander with the Marines and au
thor of The W arrior’s Silence.
“I still feel a sense that something
was lost within me from that war,
and it kills me to think that our
country’s most recent wars have
done the same to the latest genera
tion of military personnel. When I
hear reports of alarming suicide rates
among soldiers and problems with
drugs and homelessness, it reminds
me of friends I’ve lost, and the lives
they w eren’t able to have.”
There are many avenues avail
able to vets if they’re having a hard
time adjusting to civilian life after
combat, he says.
Although most civilians can never un
derstand the horrors of war, there are
ways in which the families of veterans,
and others, can help:
• Make creative expression available:
Elliott has heard story after story invol v-
THE
W A R R IO R ’S
SILENCE
ing vets who simply do not want to talk
about their combat stress. Many simply
do not know how to find catharsis in
constructive ways. Thoughts and emo
tions, however, can also be expressed -
released - in creative pursuits such as
writing, art, music, even cooking.
• Patience and understanding: “You
w on’t go wrong with loving toler
ance while seeking the help of a
trained professional to help your
veteran work through problems like
depression and anxiety,” Elliott says.
“It’s important to provide emotional
support, including helping vets who
need it to get to appointments and
joining in on family sessions.”
• Thoroughly consider your vote:
There are many outstanding ef
forts going on with non-profits that
help today’s returning vets, but
the best m edicine is prevention,
he says. In 2001, when the Iraq
W ar was gearing up, that same
feeling of anticipation - excite
ment - w ashed over E lliott that he
experienced before entering V iet
nam. “I was surprised that I could
feel that way, but then I quickly
rem em bered all that I’ve been
through with the reality o f w ar,”
he says. “If fam ilies and citizens
really want to help the men and
wom en of the U.S. m ilitary, they
will be wary of politicians who haven’t
been in com bat and who are all too
quick to the war trigger.”
Military Training
Program Honored
The Uni versity of Portland’s Air
Force Reserve O fficer Training
Corps (RO TC) was cited as the
nation’s top program in its cat
egory, w inning the prestigious
“R ight o f L ine” aw ard for the
second tim e in eight years.
“This is huge recognition for our
team here at UP - adm inistrators,
instructors, staff and students,”
said Col. Paul H uffm an, the com
m ander o f the corps. “I could not
be prouder o f our accom plish
m ents.”
The north Portland school has
a p p ro x im a te ly 120 A ir F o rc e
RO TC students, placing it in the
category o f m edium -sized detach
m ents.
The detachm ent ranks third in
the nation for the num ber o f ca
dets per capita o f undergraduate
enrollm ent. The detachm ent also
is in the top five percent for num
ber of high school scholarship w in
ners per capita o f total enrollm ent.
N in e ty
p e rc e n t
of
th e
detachm ent’s seniors are m ajor
ing in either engineering or nurs
in g , “ c r itic a l n e e d s m a jo r s ,”
H uffm an said.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord has
part-time positions available.
The A ir F o rce R e s e rv e o ffe r s its m e m b e rs a v a r ie ty of p a r t - t im e jo b
opportunities w ith fu ll-tim e benefits including tu itio n assistance and low -cost
health insurance. And, for specific p a rt-tim e jobs, you may be eligible for a
signing bonus of up to $20,000.
Serving p a rt-tim e in the A ir Force Reserve allow s you to serve at a base of your
choosing, giving you the opportunity to serve your country white s till providing
you tim e to pursue your civilian career or fu rth e r your education. It's an ideal
option fo r those who have never been in the m ilita ry as w e ll as fo r those w ith
p rio r m ilita ry service in any branch.
Dedication. Commitment. Service
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