We are grateful for the men and women who have given their lives that we might be free. We also need to be grateful for and supportive of the veterans who return from war without hope, without heart, and without their full faculties, possibly never to regain them again.
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Wounded Warriors’ Project was set up to assist our returning veterans. I was pretty shocked when I attended a TBI intervention conference several years ago and heard of how few services there really were. Was also amazed that there seemed to be little progress in interventions since I attended the National Association of Neuropsychology conference about fifteen years prior.
There are some treatments that help. One is neurotherapy (www.eeginfo.com) which is becoming more available to our veterans. We are blessed locally to have Dr. Lanny Fly http://flyconsulting.com/team.html and many neurotherapists who Dr. Fly has trained over the years. He is a veteran and graduate of a military academy as well as having been a chaplain, and really has a heart for our young veterans.
Of course we should pray for them and for their families. Dad or Mom may have come home, but that person may not be the same one who left. But with God’s help, one can survive, even overcome, these great difficulties, through time and healing.
I am dedicating this post to my father, William Henry Fancett, a wounded warrior. He is in the place of perfect healing. I thank those who also served with him and gave their lives either physically or emotionally as a cost for their participation in WWII.
Memorial Day Weekend Post by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Carrie, what a touching and beautiful tribute to your father. It is so sad to me about the lack of services that have been made available to all of our brave heroes, who have returned from war, with physical or emotional wounds.
ReplyDeleteMy father was also a veteran of WWII. I never understood until I was an adult, why my father was continually depressed, suicidal, and filled with anger. He, just like many others, returned from the war with no outside wounds to show for what he had gone through during that time. But, it was those inside wounds that caused him to live a fruitless life and die young. Would that there had been someone there to give him the help he so desperately needed.
I honor him and all others who have served in the armed forces to preserve this great country's freedom. And may our country give back to them the help that they need, to live a full fruitful life for the remainder of their years.
Diana Flowers
Beautifully said, Diana. I am so sorry your father suffered because of his service to our country. Because my great-aunt and great-uncle lived in my home town, both of whom loved him dearly, I was able to know the young man who had left to war as described by them. And I am so glad for the unconditional love they showed him. Would that all returning veterans have that same love and support.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post, Carrie. That is a good illustration with that GI Joe. It is a blessing that we have so many who have fought so hard for our freedom.
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