Military Veterans Sharing First‐Person Stories of War and Homecoming: A Pathway to Social Engagement, Personal Healing, and Public Understanding of Veterans' Issues

Military nurses' experiences returning from war

“…A collection of stories of Iraq and Afghanistan nurses also supports this finding (Richie-Melvan & Vines 2010). Wilson et al (2009) collected first-person stories of returning veterans from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers, military nurses included, must adapt mentally and emotionally to their surroundings in a deployment situation in an effort to maintain personal safety (Shay 2009, Schok et al 2010.…”

“…They return home feeling less trustful of people and the environment where they used to live and may experience hyper-vigilant behaviors. Wilson et al (2009) collected first-person stories of returning veterans from Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. Their findings were similar to the findings of this research in that returning nurses may experience uncomfortable feelings being among crowds or feel overwhelmed in large stores with bright lights and multiple choices.…”

Exploring old and new media: Comparing military blogs to Civil War letters

“…Indirectly, he likely drew strength from the hit counter he added to his blog, the number that told him approximately how many people he was reaching, the number of people who might be inspired or moved by his words. As Wilson et al (2009) concluded in their study, this positive perception of his audience likely had a tremendous impact on the therapeutic power Dadmanly derived from his milblog. Dadmanly's positive view of his audience was largely impacted by the feedback he received from his blog -the emails readers sent to him, the comments he received from each post.…”

“I Have Served to Tell”: A Qualitative Study of Veterans’ Reactions on Participating in a Living Library Project

“…Listeners can provide validation to the storytellers through active listening, question-asking, and empathy for their experience. For some, being able to educate others about their lifestyle can be very rewarding (Wilson, Leary, Mitchell, & Ritchie, 2009).…”

“…Since the Vietnam War era, storytelling has emerged as a viable intervention for war veterans seeking treatment. From the pioneering "rap groups" of the 1970s to more formal narrative therapy approaches, sharing war experiences can be a poignant salve for veterans suffering from combat stress and related issues (Wilson, Leary, Mitchell, & Ritchie, 2009). The act of storytelling, among other benefits, allows individuals to actively process their own experiences and, consequently, develop more coherent narratives about them (Mamon, McDonald, Lambert, & Cameron, 2017).…”