In war, soldiers go through trauma most of us cannot imagine. We shouldn’t be surprised to realize that a significant percentage of veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, which many people experience after trauma. You can find no better way to say “thank you” to a vet with PTSD than to guide them toward help.

I was privileged to edit I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat PTSD by Dr. Harry A. Croft and Rev. Dr. Chrys Parker. Dr. Croft is a psychiatrist and veteran Army doctor who has evaluated more than 6000 veterans and warriors for PTSD as well as being an internationally recognized expert on trauma. Chaplain Parker is a noted trauma therapist, academic educator, and military instructor who has worked with more than 2500 trauma survivors and trained nearly 5000 personnel, including US forces in Iraq, on trauma therapy.

The book is a conversation between Drs. Croft and Parker showing veterans and their families how to manage PTSD and combat trauma through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R approach: 1) Recognizing when PTSD is in your life. 2) Educating yourself about PTSD. 3) Connecting biology to your psychology. 4) Organizing a comprehensive care plan for PTSD. 5) Viewing your issues in a new light. 6) Empowering yourself through strong systems of support. 7) Redefining the meaning of your life: posttraumatic growth.

You can read my review of the book on Goodreads.

The authors have created a website for veterans and their loved ones to use in conjunction with the book. They describe the meaning of “I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall”:

If you have found this site, or have been led here by someone you know or love, it’s because you already know what it means to live your life with your back to the wall, and your eye on the exit. Whether you are in your own home, at the grocery store, at a party, or eating in a restaurant, you bend over backwards to adapt one inconvenient fact: your eyes are in front of your head. Since nature failed to equip you with a “rear view mirror”, you make sure both your “flanks” are protected by standing or sitting in the farthest corner of the room, where NOTHING will come up on you from behind, or by surprise. Have we got this right so far? Unfortunately, those two walls that intersect to form the corner behind you also form exactly 1/2 of an emotional and sensory prison. We’d like to help you stage a jailbreak. Here’s a powerful thought: if all that is behind you is a protective wall, that means that ALL OF LIFE, AND ALL OF IT’S POTENTIAL, IS IN FRONT OF YOU. You can’t retreat any farther than you already have, can you? There is nowhere to go, but forward. Your possibilities are limitless if you know what steps to slowly and gently take, and where to focus that hyper-vigilant vision of yours. We will help show you how.

I especially appreciate the emphasis on spirituality in I Always Sit with My Back to the Wall. The authors recognize that PTSD affects the body, the mind, and the spirit and address all these important areas.

A book I recently reviewed, Breaking the Code, will also be of interest to veterans and their families, especially those who have experienced PTSD. I interviewed author Karen Fisher-Alaniz earlier today.

Our veterans from earlier wars are aging and dying. Before You Go is a tribute to aging veterans. The video below is the version for Vietnam War veterans as that is the war of my youth. There are also is a version for World War II and Korea veterans.

The law states:

(b) Purpose.— Constitution Day and Citizenship Day commemorate the formation and signing on September 17, 1787, of the Constitution and recognize all who, by coming of age or by naturalization, have become citizens.

So, today I congratulate all United States citizens, whether you were born here or came here from somewhere else. You are part of the great melting pot that is our country.

And today is a good day to read the Constitution again—or for the first time!

Learn more about this observance at the Library of Congress.

Image from Wikipedia

O ETERNAL God, through whose mighty power our fathers won their liberties of old; Grant, we beseech thee, that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain these liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer

The song “God Bless America” was introduced by Kate Smith on Armistice Day, 1938. This video recreation is from the movie “This is the Army” in 1943.

Flag Day commemorates the adoption by the the Continental Congress of the Stars and Stripes as the official flag of the United States. Citizens are encouraged to fly Old Glory to observe the anniversary.

Honor America Days are the 21 days between Flag Day and Independence Day and are designated for events to honor our country. May God continue to bless the USA!

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favour and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honourable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogancy, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in thy Name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ~ 1928 Book of Common Prayer

photo credit: Rainer Ebert

But water parks, backyard barbecues, and malls hold no appeal for thousands of American families. Instead, they remember a loved one who spent every free summer minute on the water. They look at the empty chair at the table where a beloved family member should be sitting. They wonder if they will ever enjoy shopping or movies again.

These families are quietly observing Memorial Day rather than celebrating the beginning of summer because their loved ones have sacrificed their lives for our country and our freedom. Water doesn’t feel so cool, steaks don’t taste so good, bargains don’t seem so wonderful when you’re mourning the death of a loved one. And the heroes we remember today chose to put themselves at risk—not for themselves but for us.

Today in the midst of enjoying the “holiday,” remember it is a “memorial day”—a day to remember and honor those who died for us. Since 1775, more than 848,000 Americans have died in combat, and  nearly 1,344,000 have lost their lives during war from all causes of death. You can find these and other interesting statistics at Wikipedia on Answers.com: United States Military Casualties of War.

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, in whose hands are the living and the dead; We give thee thanks for all those thy servants who have laid down their lives in the service of our country. Grant to them thy mercy and the light of thy presence, that the good work which thou hast begun in them may be perfected; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord. Amen. (1928 Book of Common Prayer)

O MERCIFUL God, and heavenly Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men; Look with pity, we beseech thee, upon the mourning of thy servants whose loved ones died in the service of their country. Remember them, O Lord, in mercy; comfort them with a sense of thy goodness; lift up thy countenance upon them, and give them peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (adapted from 1928 Book of Common Prayer)

The video below reminds us of those who gave their lives for us.
Here are some other places worth visiting on Memorial Day:
50,000 Names on the Wall
Some Gave All
Mansions of the Lord

photo credit: LenDog64