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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (April 10, 2019)
SIUSLAW NEWS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2019 | 7A VETERANS from page 1A American involvement in the controversial Vietnam war began in 1955, continuing un- til 1975. The two countries re- sumed formal diplomatic rela- tions in 1995 and are currently strong trade partners; relations between the two former adver- saries is good. Primarily a proxy war be- tween the United States and China, the conflict in Southeast Asia took the lives of nearly 60,000 American soldiers, an estimated 1 million North Viet- namese and Viet Cong fighters, and 2 million civilians. The impact of the Vietnam War in the U.S. was dramatic. Many younger people and col- lege students protested openly against the war and, by exten- sion, America’s foreign policy. There was also major urban unrest, partially fueled by the assumption that residents from minority neighborhoods were being disproportionally drafted to serve in Vietnam. This civil unrest created an environment that penalized those that served for what many considered an unjust war. Many returning veterans were traumatized by the vio- lence experienced in Southeast Asia only to have the reception at home add insult to injury. Jerry Hernandez, the spokes- person for the Florence Chap- ter of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), volunteered for the army while still in high school with no knowledge of what he was getting himself into. “For me it started in 1965, when I joined the service just before I turned 18. I was young and really didn’t know what was going on,” he said. “My friends said they were joining the service AVAILABLE 7 DAYS A WEEK 541•999•6078 8 201 VOTED F E BEST O F LO E N C R FACEBOOK.COM/PETERSENAUTODETAIL and I said, ‘You guys aren’t go- ing without me.’ My mom had to sign for me. She didn’t like it, but honestly I didn’t realize what was going over there.” He r n a n d e z went to Viet- nam with the 25th Infantry Division and to a place called Cu Chi as a demoli- MARK BRENNAN/SIUSLAW NEWS tion expert. These Vietnam-era veterans from the Siuslaw region visited the traveling Vietnam Veterans “Back then Memorial Wall when it visited Florence last week. I was 5’4” and just chose to not deal with at we served. A lot of people were weighed 138 pounds, so I man. “I, too, went in when I was the time, primarily because he against the war and it was re- became a tunnel rat,” he ex- plained. “I crawled around in 17. My parents had to sign for just wasn’t ready to talk about flected in the way they were treated when they got back, or tunnels and blew up bridges me and the only reason they his time in the war. “I lost some friends there when people got out of the ser- and mines and lots of other agreed was they didn’t think I’d pass the physical,” Swantz and a lot of that I shut out. I vice,” he said. stuff.” Baggins also is pleased that The idea that 17- and said with a chuckle. “I was in don’t remember names, but I 18-year-olds would be heavily the Security Service. I flew over remember faces — and most the public’s understanding of involved in the violence that 100 missions. … We were fly- of the bad I just shut out,” Her- the necessary role fighting sol- accompanies military action is ing C-130’s for recon and had nandez said, pausing to gather diers play in any war demands a common thread in the sto- equipment on board that al- himself. “I did experience some respect for the individuals that ries of local veterans. Another lowed 50 operators sitting in really bad things. But to me, served. “Now it’s totally different, commonality that Hernandez Thailand to monitor activity they don’t seem that bad be- pointed out is the response he in Laos, Cambodia and North cause I know a lot of other guys and the people that served and that experienced a lot worse lost their lives are finally get- received from his fellow Amer- Vietnam.” Swantz remembers return- than I did.” ting their due,” he said. icans. There is no question that the The emotional damage suf- “Everyone in my family and ing to California from South- my friends were proud, but east Asia and being spit on and fered by Vietnam veterans was visit of the traveling Vietnam outside of my home it was bad. sworn at by people protesting not confined to those who Veterans Memorial, which re- I didn’t go out and talk about the war. The response he re- actually served in Vietnam. mained through Sunday, pre- it,” he recalled. “We didn’t wear ceives now is thankfully quite Those who served stateside in sented residents and veterans a support capacity also received the chance to revisit one of the clothing or memorabilia and the opposite. “It’s entirely different now. hate and derision as a reward most difficult times in Ameri- we didn’t talk to people about Even young kids come up and for their service. ca’s history. what we had done.” Baggins captured the differ- Steve Baggins, also involved Jim Swantz is a Senior Vice thank you for your service. Ev- Commander for Veterans of ery day it seems like someone with the DAV, said that al- ences between the time after Foreign Wars Post No.3232 in will come up and thank me. It though he was first ordered to the war and the respect given Vietnam, he was redirected and now to all veterans: “I thought Florence and is active in groups is really amazing,” he said. Hernandez said he feels the stationed in Texas. about your question of what that support veterans. He also “We weren’t treated well af- the wall means to me. One volunteered to serve as a young pain associated with losing friends was something that he ter the war, regardless of where word: acceptance.” SHELTER from page 1A The Salvation Army – Western Lane County P.O. Box 1041 Florence, Oregon 97439 1 (800) 481-3280 Like us on Facebook: Salvation Army – Western Lane County Moving Sale Fri.-Sat. 4/12-4/13 10am-3pm 1738 Coosah Ct. Furniture, Household, tools… FREE garage sale signs 541-997-3441 with your ad Life‛s Short. Get Dirty. Time for Spring Planting at LAUREL BAY GARDENS! Eat from your yard! - Time to plant your garden. Get your herbs, peas, lettuce and broccoli starts today! - Healthy and organic seeds, vegetable starts, and the best in garden soils and fertilizers. - Bare root fruit trees, raspberries, strawberries, ready to plant! 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This can be worsened by suffering physical health and other instabilities that affect the homeless. “Mental illness plays a ma- jor role in homelessness,” said Amanda Cherryholmes, Pro- gram Director for the Lincoln City Resource Center and Emergency Warming Shelter, “whether it be that someone who becomes homeless due to their mental illness or vice ver- sa that becoming homeless then creates a mental illness. Not having your basic neces- sities met such as guaranteed meals, shower, clean clothes and a safe place to sleep will cause anyone to develop a men- tal illness over time.” According to Maslow’s Hier- archy of Needs, a motivational theory comprising a five-tier model of human needs, the most basic need are physiolog- ical: food, water, sleep, shelter, clothing and so on. Maslow’s theory is that when the base level of those needs aren’t met, a person cannot address higher needs — which are in ascend- ing order: safety, love and be- longing, esteem and self-actu- alization. “The most common men- tal illness that we see in the homeless population is PTSD, depression and anxiety,” said Cherryholmes. “Imagine be- ing stuck outside with nothing to eat, no safe place to sleep and the inability to keep clean. Could you possibly stay opti- mistic like that?” In a fact sheet released by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council in May 2018, “Sixty-eight percent of homeless individuals reported that they had experienced psy- chological distress in the past month. These health issues are exacerbated by exposure to the elements, heightened risk of violence through physical and sexual abuse and a fragmented health system with restrictions on how and to whom care is delivered, which can lead to hopelessness, distrust, mis- use of emergency services and self-treatment.” The fact sheet went on to explain that under those con- ditions, which already increase the likelihood of suicide in the general population, the com- pounding factors associated Get Results...List With Brian. Brian Jagoe Principal Broker 541 999-1314 89310 Levage Dr – Enjoy this 3 bdrm, 2 bath home with vaulted ceilings, sepa- rate living and family rooms, and sunroom to the large backyard. Kitchen with cook island, double oven and pan- try. Master bath has custom shower and heated floors. $365,000. #2901-18621943 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 Buying or Selling? I can help. Good through 4/30/19 at Laurel Bay Gardens. 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In Lincoln County, for exam- ple, homelessness and a lack of affordable housing is a regular topic of discussion among com- munity groups, at city council meetings and at the county gov- ernment level — Lincoln Coun- ty also holds the fourth-highest suicide rate in Oregon. The key to alleviating these pressures is individual support and more access to resources. The 2018 Lincoln County Community Health Assess- ment lists five main factors that can buffer individuals from suicidal thoughts and behav- ior: effective clinical care, easy access to a variety of clinical interventions and support, family and community sup- port, support from ongoing medical and mental health care relationships and skills in non- violent problem solving and conflict resolution. The theme running through these factors is support: sup- port from the health care sys- tem and from an individual’s community. The stigma around homelessness in addition to the stigma around mental ill- ness can be paralyzing, while support for individuals facing these experiences can be the guiding hand forward — and away from irreversible action. “I think, as a community, we can do a better job at talking about it, too,” said Benson-Arb. “We can talk about the elderly person who has had a full life and takes their life, but it’s hard to bring up suicide with kids, teens — so we don’t ask … and I think we continue to stigma- tize it when we don’t use plain language.” On an individual level, edu- cation and action are the most direct ways to make change within a community; taking a mental first-aid or suicide prevention class, volunteer- ing with warming shelters and donating clothes or funds to local organizations or DHS programs can all make a dif- ference, as can reaching out to struggling family, friends and frequently seen faces. Supporting affordable hous- ing efforts and volunteering with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity can also help get more people into homes, providing more stabil- ity for families and individuals who are at risk by helping them acquire the most basic human needs identified in Maslow’s Hierarchy. For a list of mental health resources in Western Lane County, visit www.lanecounty .org/residents/health_and_ wellness.
