Shown above is the marketing poster for the first-ever Veterans Health and Forum that I coordinated and provided leadership for. Event poster: Vietnam in Context Flyer.PDF
With military efforts in Afghanistan coming to an end, and the war in Iraq having ceased, returning veterans may find themselves facing chronic health and other combat stressors similar to those faced by their brothers and sisters in conflicts past. To help address this important condition, I reached out to American heroes Jack McLean and Dick Hughes to share their lessons learned from the Vietnam war and their work with survivor groups
Joining McLean and Hughes was Ms. Keitha R. Beamer, Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Addiction Recovery Unit at Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Ms. Beamer discussed ways US military personnel and their families can obtain mental health services and shared lessons from her work in the addiction recovery unit.
Jack McLean is author of “Loon: A Marine Story,“ the highly-acclaimed and gripping memoir about Mr. McLean’s life from a civilian—to enlisted Marine at Parris Island—to combat veteran in Vietnam—to the first Vietnam veteran to graduate from Harvard. McLean will discuss the tumultuous political times of the late 1960s and the effect those events had on the average-Marine fighting in Vietnam. He included personal insights not only for today’s student-veteran, but for veterans and their families across all generations. Click here to see Jack McLean discussing his book on C-SPAN: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/286875-1
Dick Hughes has been helping to heal the wounds of Vietnam for more than 40 years beginning with his Shoeshine Boys Project (1968–76) in Saigon and Da Nang that provided assistance to some 2,500 homeless Vietnamese street-children by helping them find food and shelter. More recently, Hughes is leading the nonprofit organization Loose Cannons, Inc., a group dedicated to bringing awareness to the health effects of Agent Orange. Hughes explained ways that people can make a difference in the world, and provide current information about the lingering effects of chemical warfare. Click here to view a brief slide show about Dick Hughes: http://caplantech.journalism.cuny.edu/2010/12/06/richard-hughes-and-the-shoeshine-boys-of-saigon/
During the spring of 1968, both McLean and Hughes were at Con Thien, located just south of Khe Sahn near the Vietnam border with Laos; McLean as a Marine with Charlie Company and Hughes as a reporter covering Delta Company, both units of the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. Both men bear witness to the atrocities associated with war and today continue their work to bring healing and understanding to all those whom have endured war. Click to read Dick Hughes’s combat experience with PFC Larry B. Reed: Dick Hughes reflections May 1968.PDF
McLean’s book takes its title from Landing Zone Loon, the name given to an intense battle that took place in Vietnam as the United States awoke to the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy on June 6, 1968. The under-strength Charlie and Delta Companies were caught in a three-day jungle firefight with the North Vietnamese Army taking on horrendous casualties, but performing with valor and distinction against the great odds of continuous mortar, ground and artillery fire.
For many people, the Vietnam war continues to bear witness to a conflict that they cannot talk about because the memories still are too painful. Veterans Administration officials report there has been an increase in the number of Vietnam-era veterans seeking first-time treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other war-time symptoms not reported in decades past.
Like other colleges and universities, Millersville University has experienced an enrollment increase among new student-veterans. The post 9/11 GI Bill provides tuition and fees, annual book and supplies stipend, and monthly housing allowances for students attending more than half-time. To better connect with these students, Millersville University recently created a Veterans Affairs position within the Office of Financial Aid and has made available specialized Counseling Services to student-vets. Tragically, according to TIME magazine cover story of July 23, 2012 titled: One A Day, every day one US soldier commits suicide.
Below is the detailed agenda for the program as well as background information and notes and photos that were used in support of my presentation at the evening portion of the forum.
Schedule of Events: Tuesday November 13, 2012
- 12:00 Opening Remarks and Introductions by Dr. Jane Bray, Dean of School Education
- 12:15 Luncheon for student-veterans. Keynote remarks by State Representative John C. Bear.
- 1:00 Summary of counseling and addiction services available at MU by John Baltzer, MU Alcohol and other Drugs Counselor. Invitation only
- 1:45 Interviews with press/TV Student Memorial Center, Room 24
- 2:30 Mr. Dick Hughes, guest speaker in SOWK 314 International Social Work. Class held in Hash Building room 012 with Assistant Professor of Social Work: Leonora E. Foels,PhD, LCSW, LICSW. Not open to public
- 3:00 Mr. Jack McLean, guest speaker with ROTC cadets. Not open to public
- 7:00 Opening Remarks and Introductions: Dr. Victor DeSantis, Dean of Graduate School and Professional Studies and Associate Provost for Civic & Community Engagement
- 7:05 Dr. Jeffrey Wimer, Associate Professor Department of Wellness & Sport Sciences “Profile of PFC Larry B. Reed, U.S. Marine Corps”
- 7:20 Mr. Jack McLean, author: Loon: A Marine Story
- 7:50 Mr. Dick Hughes, Shoeshine Boys Project (1968-1976) and Loose Cannons, Inc.
- 8:20 Ms. Keitha Beamer, MSN, APMHCNS, BC; CARN-AP Clinical Nurse Specialist, Addiction Recovery Unit, Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. How US service members and their families can access mental health and addiction recovery health services.
- 8:50 Questions and Answers
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Sponsors for this forum: The William A Dinges ’65 Endowed Veterans Scholarship, The Elise S. Shenk Wellness & Women’s Program, Center for Civic & Community Engagement, Center for Counseling & Human Development, Health Services, School of Education, Wellness & Sport Sciences Department, History Department, Social Work Department, Nursing Department, Millersville University Library, Franklin & Marshall College History Department.
Below are photographs and materials that I used in preparing my presentation during the evening portion of the forum.
