2008 Woodie Awards
Facing the scourge of combat stress
Melanie Kucera - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Metro
- Page 1 of 1
Admiration, discipline, friendship, and endurance were all themes that circulated the air Thursday night in the IMU.
The event that brought forth the feelings was a panel discussion on combat stress and its effects on soldiers and their families, hosted by the UI Antiwar Committee and UI Veterans Association.
Partaking in the panel were four people: Scott Lyon, a 25-year-old UI journalism student and Iraq war veteran; Tom Howe, a Vietnam veteran and veterans' rights advocate; and two military mothers, Sue Dinsdale and Kathryn Struck, who have had sons serve in Iraq.
All four stressed that no matter how the war affects people, the stress does not at all stop the minute the soldiers come home. Rather, it can linger for years to come.
"When we come home, the physical combat is removed but not over," Howe said. "Combat changes us, and we are not the same and never will be."
Howe not only stressed the need to never forget the soldiers but also the families - "they went to war, too."
The worst thing for a soldier to do is "stuff" the memories, he said. Instead, soldiers should face them and deal with them.
"Be ready to listen, give unconditional acceptance, and don't judge," Struck told the audience of more than 50 people about treating soldiers after they return.
Dinsdale's son served two tours of duty in Iraq, one in 2003 and one in 2004, something she called a "horrifying experience."
"I think the burden of war is being borne by so few people," she said, adding that more participation from people is needed.
Tim Gauger, a member of the Antiwar Committee, said the panel was put together for many reasons.
"This is to show people what it is really like," he said. "We are trying to get the word out. It is real life happening to people every day."
Combat stress - the physical, psychological, and emotional effect of combat - served as the umbrella theme, while real-life stories from Iraq and Vietnam conflicts provided the anecdotal evidence.
Howe drew tears remembering one of his closest friends from Vietnam, "Eddie," who said he can not see him anymore because it is too hard for the veteran. He also recalled at one point being in the hospital with 50 beds and 48 were filled with people missing body parts.
"It could have been me," he said.
E-mail DI reporter Melanie Kucera at:
melanie-kucera@uiowa.edu
The event that brought forth the feelings was a panel discussion on combat stress and its effects on soldiers and their families, hosted by the UI Antiwar Committee and UI Veterans Association.
Partaking in the panel were four people: Scott Lyon, a 25-year-old UI journalism student and Iraq war veteran; Tom Howe, a Vietnam veteran and veterans' rights advocate; and two military mothers, Sue Dinsdale and Kathryn Struck, who have had sons serve in Iraq.
All four stressed that no matter how the war affects people, the stress does not at all stop the minute the soldiers come home. Rather, it can linger for years to come.
"When we come home, the physical combat is removed but not over," Howe said. "Combat changes us, and we are not the same and never will be."
Howe not only stressed the need to never forget the soldiers but also the families - "they went to war, too."
The worst thing for a soldier to do is "stuff" the memories, he said. Instead, soldiers should face them and deal with them.
"Be ready to listen, give unconditional acceptance, and don't judge," Struck told the audience of more than 50 people about treating soldiers after they return.
Dinsdale's son served two tours of duty in Iraq, one in 2003 and one in 2004, something she called a "horrifying experience."
"I think the burden of war is being borne by so few people," she said, adding that more participation from people is needed.
Tim Gauger, a member of the Antiwar Committee, said the panel was put together for many reasons.
"This is to show people what it is really like," he said. "We are trying to get the word out. It is real life happening to people every day."
Combat stress - the physical, psychological, and emotional effect of combat - served as the umbrella theme, while real-life stories from Iraq and Vietnam conflicts provided the anecdotal evidence.
Howe drew tears remembering one of his closest friends from Vietnam, "Eddie," who said he can not see him anymore because it is too hard for the veteran. He also recalled at one point being in the hospital with 50 beds and 48 were filled with people missing body parts.
"It could have been me," he said.
E-mail DI reporter Melanie Kucera at:
melanie-kucera@uiowa.edu
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