It has been my experience that writing can give a person peace of mind when something is troubling them. If you allow the spirit to move you, your pen and paper can take the place of another human being and allow you to “talk out” what’s on your mind. This allows you to freely express how you feel without fear of judgement or anger or humiliation. You can make arguments for or against whatever you are facing. You can determine the Pros and the Cons of your decision.
This website is dedicated to the many veterans I work with at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. Their stories and poems are included with their permission. I have also included several examples of my own work. Writing has been a part of my life for fifty years. As a young soldier serving in the jungles of Vietnam, I kept a journal of my time serving my country. That journal had stories about the brave men and women who served with me as well as my encounters with the Vietnamese people.
I continued writing in college and as I began my business career in Northern California where I lived with my wife and two sons. It was a lifeline when PTSD interrupted that life and it helped me survive the nightmares and rages of anger that introduced me to the mental health therapies of the VA medical systems. Without the VA, I would not have survived.
I now work as a Peer Support Specialist, helping veterans of all ages, men and women, who have served in all branches of the military in Vietnam to the Gulf War. The VA’s writing programs give these veterans an outlet to express their feelings in a group setting secure in the support from other veterans. Every veteran writer brings unique talent to their writing which is read aloud and critiqued by the group. Talking about their story or their poem allows them to share their feelings and emotions with other veterans who may also have had a similar experience.
If you are a veteran and would like to learn more about the VA’s writing programs, I encourage you to reach out to your local VA hospital or connect the link located on this page.
Thank you for your interest and enjoy reading the submissions.
Ronald Nash