Free Program Helps Veterans Tell Their Story

By Crystal Vandegrift

Everyone has a story to tell. For those who have served in the military, whether in combat or a family member waiting back home, sometimes telling their story is something that is hard to do yet it can be very therapeutic.

As a veteran himself, Dr. Michael Lund, professor emeritus of English at Longwood University and member of the Farmville VFW Post 7059, knows this first hand.

Over the past year, Dr. Lund, with the help of Longwood University, has developed Home and Abroad, A Writing Program for Military Veterans. This all-volunteer-run program helps veterans, active duty military and family members develop storytelling techniques so they can preserve their experiences in fiction, memoir, essay and autobiography. ““This is an opportunity for these people to put their experiences into words,” said Dr. Lund. “This is not meant to be counseling or to be therapeutic, but people often come to terms with their experiences by writing about them.”

Last fall, Longwood University and Military Experience and the Arts reached out to military, veterans, and family members to tell their stories, “We were uncertain about who, if anyone, would respond.” aid Dr. Lund. “We named this effort “Home and Abroad” to emphasize that we wanted to learn about the personal experiences of those who served overseas in the military and those who supported them stateside. We have been surprised at the numbers of individuals who have contacted us and by the power of their stories.”

Dr. Lund takes it one step further than just helping veterans and family members tell their story. Once a story is complete, with the help of Longwood, each veteran gets 25 copies of their book to share with others.

The professor began the program by offering a writing workshop for veterans and family members. Deanna Schwartz of Keysville, whose son was wounded while serving in Iraq, was one of those who took part in the workshop.

“Participating in a writing workshop provided encouragement for me to express my feelings on the written page. While each attendee had their own individual experience to tell, mine centered on being a mother helping her son recover from losing his leg while serving in Iraq,” stated Schwartz. “Pages and pages of events seemed to explode across the computer screen limited only by my typing skill. What a release! Little did I realize how much pain, frustration, and joy I had experienced while at Walter Reed Army Hospital for five months with my son…my story continues.”

Stephen Saunders of Iowa was also able to tell his story with the help of Dr. Lund and the program. On a January 1967 patrol in a remote valley of the highland wilds in Binh Dinh province, South Vietnam, miles from any friendly force, United States Army infantryman Stephen Saunders screamed inside his head, “Nobody cough or move.” His inner voice was trying to reach the inner ears of Ski and Hays, the other two members of three-man “pony team.” What he had just seen was a khaki-clad NVA soldier toting an SKS rifle four feet in front of and above him on a trail. Thankfully, his comrades somehow heard. He recalls that event regularly.

“I experienced relief and satisfaction by exposing intrusive war memories to the open air of writing and publication,” said Saunders. “The encouragement and support of Home and Abroad through its professional mentor, Dr. Lund, was a catalyst for that process.  Organizing and crafting the written piece tucked away the memory to a more comfortable place.”

“Home and Abroad authors are bearing witness to the trials, challenges, and rewards of military service. Their readers are fellow members of the military, veterans, and family members, but, perhaps more importantly, our current civilian population, which is often spared such realities,” added Dr. Lund.

“All editing, consultations, and workshops are free of charge to those accepted for publication. Veterans and their families pay nothing for our services.”

For more information, visit the Home and Abroad website or email Lund at lundmc@longwood.edu.