Thursday afternoon on November 10 before Veterans Day weekend, Major Greanias was invited to Henderson Bay to speak to students and staff. He discussed what it means to be a veteran, the symbolization of poppy flowers and pictures from his deployment in Afghanistan. Greanias ended the conversation with leaving the floor open to questions. What interested me the most about the presentation was the question he asked students; "Is it hard to talk to veterans?"
Coming from a family with four generations of veterans including my Great-Great Grandfather who served in World War I, my personal opinion is that it is not hard to talk to veterans in some aspects given the situation. After my Father returned home from war in Iraq after being deployed for approximately a year from 2003 to 2004, he wasn’t the Father I had grown up with and had come to know. His experiences in Iraq had changed him. His experiences weren’t necessarily bad, it just took adjustment for my Mom, brother and me. I believe that no matter where you come from anyone can reteach themselves to live and lead a productive life. Not all veterans come back from deployment in war with PTSD (a common myth) and other conditions and illnesses, but what they see on unfamiliar territory isn’t easy to witness. Veterans are normal people. If you find yourself in a situation where you meet a veteran, there’s no need to be awkward about it. Both of my parents are veterans and I still don’t know what to say to veterans when I see them in the grocery store or at Home Depot. However, sometimes shaking a veteran's hand or an active duty member of the military and thanking them for their service is the best thing to do. ~Bre |
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