Learning to Stand Down
I
grew up surrounded by Veterans. My dad’s dad, Grampa Leo, was in the Army and
served in WWI. My uncles, Tommy, Greg, and Bernie, were all in the service. My
dad, Jim, was in the Navy but was killed when I was two years old.by a drunk
driver after dropping me off at my grandparents’ and headed back to the Navy
base in Jacksonville, Florida. We were military dependents from that point on.
If it
weren’t for survivor’s benefits, I would not have been able to complete college
and get a Master’s degree. I wouldn’t be a social worker if not for the
financial support I received. Sure, I would have rather had my father around
all those years but this made it possible for me to be the independent woman
that I am today.
About
ten years ago--a little more--I got the opportunity to work with the Veterans
Administration. It meant moving back to Alabama from Washington, DC after
living there for over 15 years. In so many ways, I feel destined to do this
job. It’s like paying back a long overdue student loan and coming home at the
same time. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
When
I saw the call for stories for the anthology, I jumped at the chance. I had
always wanted to write but had stopped when a college professor suggested I put
down my pen and never pick it up again. Shortly after moving back to Alabama, I
had written a fictional story about an experience I had when I started working
at the VA. The story is fiction but the reality is that there are scores of
homeless Veterans living in cities, under overpasses, and in the woods across
this country. Going to that Stand Down in Mobile, Alabama, opened my eyes to a
reality that I find sad and disgusting but not without hope. The VA has great
programs to help Veterans with all of the problems that lead to homelessness.
Veterans are given the opportunity if they only choose to accept it. We also
educate the general public about the issues that face these men and women when
they return from their service.
I
primarily work with Vietnam Veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD. I
facilitate groups and do individual therapy. But I still attend the Stand Downs
when I get the chance to see the faces in the community of those yet to be
helped. I hope this anthology provides education and that the donations help
our Veterans. They will always be our heroes in so many ways.
Terry
Rozum, LICSW, is a Social Worker with the VA working at the Mobile Outpatient
Clinic (MOPC) in the Behavioral Health Services as a therapist.
