| He that outlives this day, and comes safe home, Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam'd, And rouse him at the name of Crispian. He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say 'These wounds I had on Crispian's day.' Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember, with advantages, What feats he did that day. Then shall our names, Familiar in his mouth as household words- Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, — William Shakespeare, 1564-1616, King Henry V |
| we take care of our own |
My name is Eddie Black. I have a little blurb about my bio on another
page, but I'll give a some reasons why I am doing what I am doing. I
joined the Marine Corps in 1989. I joined a family with deep history and
tradition. That same love for my fellow soldier prompted me to join the
Oregon National Guard in 2004 to deploy to Iraq.
During the twenty years since I joined I've gone to various colleges and
have developed a love for psychology. Within psychology, however, I did
not know what I wanted to practice... until now.
It was while writing a paper for one of many classes that I've taken that I
came across the 2005 Oregon Violent Death Report and a statistic that
blew me away.
page, but I'll give a some reasons why I am doing what I am doing. I
joined the Marine Corps in 1989. I joined a family with deep history and
tradition. That same love for my fellow soldier prompted me to join the
Oregon National Guard in 2004 to deploy to Iraq.
During the twenty years since I joined I've gone to various colleges and
have developed a love for psychology. Within psychology, however, I did
not know what I wanted to practice... until now.
It was while writing a paper for one of many classes that I've taken that I
came across the 2005 Oregon Violent Death Report and a statistic that
blew me away.
| Why I do what I am doing... |
These aren't 'attempts', they are 'rates' and it becomes blatantly
obvious that the younger soldiers/vets are facing major issues, but the
pattern is across the board for vets. Suicide is a major issue nationally
as well with our veterans.
I had a young private under my tutelage when I was a squad leader and
he had no job. I worked with him to find him work, get into college,
and so forth. He did not understand why I'd put effort into helping him
out. I looked him in the eye and asked him if he could imagine us being
in combat together.
"yes"
Could he imagine me running across the street under a hail of bullets to
be beside him?
"yes"
So why was it so hard to understand that I would help him find a job on
my day off?
(silence)
obvious that the younger soldiers/vets are facing major issues, but the
pattern is across the board for vets. Suicide is a major issue nationally
as well with our veterans.
I had a young private under my tutelage when I was a squad leader and
he had no job. I worked with him to find him work, get into college,
and so forth. He did not understand why I'd put effort into helping him
out. I looked him in the eye and asked him if he could imagine us being
in combat together.
"yes"
Could he imagine me running across the street under a hail of bullets to
be beside him?
"yes"
So why was it so hard to understand that I would help him find a job on
my day off?
(silence)
| My powerpoint presentation on PTSD. It is a PDF file. Distribute as you would like. I am willing to come and present this for free. |
| PTSD Timeline a first-of-its kind database of reported OEF/OIF combat posttraumatic stress-related incidents. |
| When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? ~George Canning |
| What can I do? |
I am merely one voice. There are many more like me who are
speaking publicly about their own ordeals with combat stress. For me
personally I did not know I had any problems until I went to talk with a
counselor to get information for soldiers in my infantry unit. With my
training in psychology I was able to recognize a large need for
intervention around me but I was still blind to my own issues. I went
in for a fact finding session that turned out to be a weekly event.
As my unit came back stateside, our concerns were to get back with
our families and loved ones, not to sit within a paperwork blackhole.
Besides, I (we) felt good. Even though I study psychology, I tuned out
the VA reps and others that came to talk to us. Their speeches and
presentations on PTSD did not resonate with us and often times we
did not identify with the speaker. The language, too, is problematic.
Don't talk to me about being 'weak' or 'helpless'. I'm a combat vet.
I created the PowerPoint presentation above as a soldier talking to
soldiers. The presentation is a stand-alone product that doesn't need
a program to run. When I give it it lasts about an hour. I am open to
come to any group in the state to present this free of charge. My
intent is to dispel some of the myths and stigmas about PTSD and
combat stress. I am trying to get the word out and was recently on a
radio program as well.
I am available to talk with other vets as another 'joe' in sharing
experiences. I'm not here to diagnose you, tell you how 'crazy' or
'sane' you are, or anything like that. I am not a clinician and there is a
LOT of work to do for a diagnosis. But I am someone who's done
patrols for days, been narrowly missed IED, been shot at and shot
back, and who is a marine/soldier who is proud of his uniform and the
men and women he's served with. Perhaps I can answer some
questions, point you in a direction, or just let you 'get a load off of your
chest'. I am NOT a substitute for therapy/intervention. I am just a
fellow soldier and marine supporting my comrades.
As I enter prep for Graduate School I hope to study PTSD and to help
understand it and treat it better from the perspective of a veteran of
Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom 2.
speaking publicly about their own ordeals with combat stress. For me
personally I did not know I had any problems until I went to talk with a
counselor to get information for soldiers in my infantry unit. With my
training in psychology I was able to recognize a large need for
intervention around me but I was still blind to my own issues. I went
in for a fact finding session that turned out to be a weekly event.
As my unit came back stateside, our concerns were to get back with
our families and loved ones, not to sit within a paperwork blackhole.
Besides, I (we) felt good. Even though I study psychology, I tuned out
the VA reps and others that came to talk to us. Their speeches and
presentations on PTSD did not resonate with us and often times we
did not identify with the speaker. The language, too, is problematic.
Don't talk to me about being 'weak' or 'helpless'. I'm a combat vet.
I created the PowerPoint presentation above as a soldier talking to
soldiers. The presentation is a stand-alone product that doesn't need
a program to run. When I give it it lasts about an hour. I am open to
come to any group in the state to present this free of charge. My
intent is to dispel some of the myths and stigmas about PTSD and
combat stress. I am trying to get the word out and was recently on a
radio program as well.
I am available to talk with other vets as another 'joe' in sharing
experiences. I'm not here to diagnose you, tell you how 'crazy' or
'sane' you are, or anything like that. I am not a clinician and there is a
LOT of work to do for a diagnosis. But I am someone who's done
patrols for days, been narrowly missed IED, been shot at and shot
back, and who is a marine/soldier who is proud of his uniform and the
men and women he's served with. Perhaps I can answer some
questions, point you in a direction, or just let you 'get a load off of your
chest'. I am NOT a substitute for therapy/intervention. I am just a
fellow soldier and marine supporting my comrades.
As I enter prep for Graduate School I hope to study PTSD and to help
understand it and treat it better from the perspective of a veteran of
Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom 2.
|
| In doing what we ought, we deserve no praise, because it is our duty. - Saint Aurelius Augustine (Augustine of Hippo) |
| what can you do? |
Educate yourself. Know that because we might be silent
doesn't mean we do not love you. Know that we are confused
at changes we feel and can't think our way out of. Love us.
Support us. Talk to us.
doesn't mean we do not love you. Know that we are confused
at changes we feel and can't think our way out of. Love us.
Support us. Talk to us.
| Semper Fi |
Eddie Black
SGT USMC 89-94
SSG Oregon Army National Guard 04-10
eddiecoyote@gmail.com
503-737-5968
Beaverton, Oregon 97008
SGT USMC 89-94
SSG Oregon Army National Guard 04-10
eddiecoyote@gmail.com
503-737-5968
Beaverton, Oregon 97008
I am heartened because of an example that occurred during infantry
exercises one winter. It was on the coast and it was a rainy day and we
were moving as a squad sized element. We were waiting our turn to
practice moving to contact and react to ambush and so we went inside
a dirt floor shack and sat around in a circle. The usual behavior
ensued. The young guys started goofing off, the smokers lit up a
cigarette, the hungry guy grabbed a snack from his pack. I grabbed my
schedule of events (I was the squad leader) and went over plans and so
forth. The talk among the joes turned as it usually does toward women
and is usually sexual in nature. It is all about sex and women as sex-
objects. I then heard one of the newlywed joes talk about his wife in a
completely different tone than what was the norm. He talked of his
love for her, of how he couldn’t wait to be with her after drill, and such.
She ceased to be an object and became a person there in that shack. I
looked up to see this palpable change among my squad and noticed
that the conversation changed. Guys that had recently said some
perverse things were now talking about their emotions about their
girlfriends and wives. It was, to me, very rewarding to see. I think of
that again when I think about what it is that I want to do. That not only
is there a need for it, but it could work as well. I need to be one of those
voices that speak out. I wrote about it in the introduction to a photo
exhibit for veterans in Iraq/Afghanistan wars.
exercises one winter. It was on the coast and it was a rainy day and we
were moving as a squad sized element. We were waiting our turn to
practice moving to contact and react to ambush and so we went inside
a dirt floor shack and sat around in a circle. The usual behavior
ensued. The young guys started goofing off, the smokers lit up a
cigarette, the hungry guy grabbed a snack from his pack. I grabbed my
schedule of events (I was the squad leader) and went over plans and so
forth. The talk among the joes turned as it usually does toward women
and is usually sexual in nature. It is all about sex and women as sex-
objects. I then heard one of the newlywed joes talk about his wife in a
completely different tone than what was the norm. He talked of his
love for her, of how he couldn’t wait to be with her after drill, and such.
She ceased to be an object and became a person there in that shack. I
looked up to see this palpable change among my squad and noticed
that the conversation changed. Guys that had recently said some
perverse things were now talking about their emotions about their
girlfriends and wives. It was, to me, very rewarding to see. I think of
that again when I think about what it is that I want to do. That not only
is there a need for it, but it could work as well. I need to be one of those
voices that speak out. I wrote about it in the introduction to a photo
exhibit for veterans in Iraq/Afghanistan wars.
Call me, anytime, any day. If you are a vet or the family/friend of a vet and just want someone to talk to, call
me. I don't need to know your name, you can just call me. I don't have the answers and will not try to fix your
life. But I can listen.
Again, as I said above, if you think it is natural for a soldier/marine to run across a street under fire for his/her
buddy... why not do something so simple as answer the phone?
I am also willing to go anywhere that I can get to and present my presentation at no cost. The only
equipment that I could use is a projector that can be hooked up to a laptop. If you don't have one, I'll make
due without it.
me. I don't need to know your name, you can just call me. I don't have the answers and will not try to fix your
life. But I can listen.
Again, as I said above, if you think it is natural for a soldier/marine to run across a street under fire for his/her
buddy... why not do something so simple as answer the phone?
I am also willing to go anywhere that I can get to and present my presentation at no cost. The only
equipment that I could use is a projector that can be hooked up to a laptop. If you don't have one, I'll make
due without it.
| This is an online journal where I "put it all out there" for others. I've gotten responses from people saying that they've done/felt the same thing. It is rambling and at times edgy or sublime or harsh, just like what we are. I have attempted to open myself up as much as possible to the experiences and emotions that I feel so that I can better understand them and heal. I share it with you here. |
| This aired on Veteran's Day 2008. An important show for all to listen to. It is MP3 format to just double click on. |