Vets Lives Matter & The Mission Continues

"R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet" (r-saldana) 05/06/2015 at 11:27 • Filed to: VetsLivesMatter Walk-lopnik

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Is a small organization started by a close friend of mine who I was stationed in Japan with. We were both Iraq and other operation veterans and found ourselves in a non-deployable, rear echelon command. My buddy, decided to utilize this opportunity to get his life squared away and plan for a future outside of the Marine Corps. Many times in a military career, especially one that coexists with war time operations, you lose your best friends to unseen enemies. Often, the turmoil going on under the surface never arises due to your discipline and training to focus on the mission at hand; problem is, when there no longer is a mission.

In this day and age the American people are shielded and protected so well by the girls and guys on the old gray line that the impact of war has never even brushed their lives. While many veterans genuinely appreciate the standard “Thank you for your service” comments, few if any truly feel any genuine gratitude being shared by those who speak it.

Too often does the general societal opinion of veterans reside in the “Thanks, no go away so I can continue living my life free from worry.” Truthfully, this is mostly a subconscious feeling; meaning that many people are not even aware that this is how they are making veterans of recent and foreign wars feel.

This leads me to the root of the problem, awareness. Rarely do civilians get an introspective look into the aftermath of combat military life. The few times that the large scale populace get to see what happens to those of us who sold our innocence to Uncle Sam for a shot at battlefield glory, are often in the worst light. Too many times do damaged veterans lash out at civilians, go on rampages, or any number of things they would have been applauded for on the battlefield but they could not figure out how to flip the switch and become a normal human again.

So a couple of my Marine buddies have set out on a hike from Marine Corps Base Quantico all the way to Poughkeepsie, NY. 430 miles on foot on the East Coast. The Mission Continues, is on GoFundMe and endeavors to assist in the transition to the civilian working life that so many veterans struggle with. We as a generation have an opportunity to negate the actions of the past government and media initiatives to beat up on war vets having a hard time coping with PTSD and other injuries. And though our society seems to reinforce that the Iraq/Afghan wars are yet another variation of meddlesome foreign policy and that we are just another group of Vietnam vets, we the people can make a difference in the lives of those who feel called to go forth in danger on behalf of those who cannot protect themselves.

You can follow their progress on their twitter feed, they are giving good updates, making me ever more jealous and wishing I could be out there with them:

https://twitter.com/VetsLivesMatte…

And if you are feeling generous:

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BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 11:34

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I’m not sure what to think about this, since I’m not a fan of all the wars the US has setup for themselves in the past few decades, but I feel sorry for the troops dealing with PTSD and other problems. I want to show support, but they shouldn’t have been in these situations in the first place.

ttyymmnn > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 11:35

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I gave what I could, and I hope others can help out as well. Thanks for posting this.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 11:39

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I come from a military family and a lot of my friends growing up had dads who were combat veterans and it was only after reading about what they went through when I got older did I get a small understanding of what they went through. I give to the wounded warrior project but I’m starting to read about not so nice things they’re doing. I’ll definitely check out mission continues.

JGrabowMSt > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 11:41

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PTSD is something that I think is very misunderstood overall. I couldn’t pretend to have any shred of an idea of PTSD from a combat veteran, but my girlfriend has PTSD (she was never in the military though), and I do know what it takes to assist her on a day to day basis, and from that daily experience, I have some shred of an idea about what people should be doing around anyone affected by PTSD.

The hardest part about it is there’s no manual. There’s no guide. There just aren’t enough people in the world that are truly willing to drop everything at a moments notice for someone with PTSD. I’ve cancelled plans at the last minute, I’ve even just been a no-show at events I was expected to be at. I’ve had to turn down certain opportunities (not always a bad thing) simply so that I can be around. Tomorrow is another day, tomorrow will have more opportunities, but most importantly, I want my girlfriend to have that tomorrow as well. Sometimes it means I have to sacrifice today, but it’s nothing in comparison, and too few people will be able to comprehend that. Ever.

pauljones > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 05/06/2015 at 12:20

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It’s easy to play armchair quarterback, and in doing so, you’re making much the same mistake that the people who sent these young men and women into combat do: focusing on a detached, ideological issue rather than focusing on the people themselves.

Whether or not you agree with the wars that took place isn’t the point here. Like it or not, they took place. That’s an incontrovertible fact that you cannot influence. What you can influence, however, even if only in a small way, is the effects that wars have on people. Forget about the ideology and the philosophy; focus on the people. By doing so, and by helping others get the tools and resources they need to meet their own base needs, you’re also giving them the opportunity to get on their feet and help others. It’s kind of a win-win.

Here’s a great example of that:

http://gizmodo.com/two-ex-army-ra…

Sitting there and saying, “I want to show support, but won’t because I think the wars were wrong” is kind of akin to saying, “She deserved it because of what she was wearing.” In both cases, the victims, the people that need the help, are being punished for something that is no fault of their own, while the people who are responsible for the wrongdoing aren’t actually affected. Having an anti-war stance in the hopes of preventing future wars is great, but don’t use it as a justification for not showing support or not helping the people that have already been affected by past wars. Refusing to help on those grounds does nothing to punish the higher-level politicians and other general assholes that started these wars, as the effects don’t reach them. Holding veteran support hostage on the ideological foundation of trying to prevent future wars and saying, “I won’t help because this should have happened in the first place” also doesn’t work for much the same reason: it has no impact on the people at fault, therefore they simply don’t care.

Whatever your sociopolitical ideologies, people are people - and people are the most important thing.

Hey, y'all, watch this! > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 05/06/2015 at 12:21

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Well, we don’t want your pity, anyway. It isn’t about “feeling sorry” for us.

pauljones > JGrabowMSt 05/06/2015 at 12:32

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Good man. I’d buy you a beer anytime.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 05/06/2015 at 12:41

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When the Wounded warior project was a federally funded only project they lost a lot of their funding during the government shutdown. So much so that when it came time to pay up for the homes that the project converted in handicap-accessible homes and gave to these multiple amputee vets, they deferred the cost of the homes and many of the inhabitants had some serious financial situations levied upon them. Thankfully, it got squared away before anyone ended up on the street, and that was mostly because of caring supporters out there like you.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > pauljones 05/06/2015 at 12:42

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That is an amazing organization, and I’m truly wishing them the best because more than liberation what the Afghans need is freedom. Freedom from the drugs, Taliban subverted Al Qaeda rule, and poverty.

Brian, The Life of > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. 05/06/2015 at 16:39

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Hate the game, not the player. ;)

thebigbossyboss > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 17:01

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This is an excellent project.

Here in Canada one thing I was able to do this fall was give back to the troops by playing the last post at a ceremony in an Ontario community not far from here called Nepean. The last post is a commonwealth bugle call which is used the same way as taps is in the usa. We play it before our two minutes of silence on veterans day.

This came about because a few years ago I went to our remembrance day ceremony and noticed they played a recorded bugle call.

Well, I can play the bugle, I have for damn near 15 years. I may not be a prodigy but the last post isn’t too tough.

So I made contact with our local legion and met up with the organizers of the ceremony and told them well I know how to play the bugle and if they’d let me I would be honoured to play the last call at the ceremony for them. I practiced and practiced and when the big day came I dressed up in suit and tie and was able to play it loud clear and proper.

It may not be spectacular, but I was proud of myself in that moment in time. Sometimes the best gifts you can give are free, and I have been invited back to play this year.

ttyymmnn > pauljones 05/06/2015 at 17:10

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Well said, sir. Well said.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > thebigbossyboss 05/06/2015 at 17:12

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Thank you, I have operated with many Canadian brothers and you lot are seriously top notch.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 18:40

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Hope you can join them the next time. Shared this on OppositeTalk on Fb as well.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 05/06/2015 at 19:26

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Thanks. And me too, lol

orcim > R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet 05/06/2015 at 23:48

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Back in 84’, I got a spend time with my 92 yr old grandpa who’d I’d known all my life, but had never had a real “session” with. Well, I was alone on this visit, he was alone, and wanted to talk. One piece of his story has stuck.

I remember him watching steeplechases and horse trials on TV when I was younger, making european noises of disgust or appreciation (“ach” and “ya”) while watching riders doing their things. He was a cavalry man in the Holland army in 1910. Full on military service with swords and superior horsemanship. He was a carpenter before going into the military and when he got out, he had his military clothes, a small bag of person effects, and ... nothing else.

He went to nearest big city to find a job and their were carpenter jobs being hired. There were also about 100 men in front of table with two men at it. My granddad just got into the line at the end and waited. As he walked to the end of the line, one of the men at the end of the table put a hand on the other, got up, and walked all the way down to the vet who was obviously just discharged. He grabbed my grandfather’s arm and dragged him to the start of the line in front of the table. Then he asked him his name, experience for carpentry (though this may not have mattered - dunno) and proceeded to give him a job.

*All* of the business people there did this - any vet got welcomed and preferential treatment. It was the “culture”. I always wonder at people who condemn me for questioning my own “culture” when I have a concrete example of how it could be better.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > orcim 05/07/2015 at 09:16

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I have always held those who have gone before me into combat in the highest regard, none more than WWI veterans. Thank you for sharing his story and the depiction of a grateful nation.