The wounds of war
by Cheryl Treece, Findlay, Ohio
My husband and I were amazed how Carolyn Holderread Heggen captured the whole truth and plight of returning veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. (“The Wounds of War,” July 8).
My husband is a veteran who joined the Navy to avoid participating in the Vietnam War. However, in 1972 his ship, the USS Newport News, was part of a plan to end the war. On Oct. 1, 1972, a turret exploded, killing 18 men; two more died later. Eight died in the explosion and the rest from toxic smoke inhalation—many dying in their sleep. My husband came within seconds of dying because the canister of a mask was missing. A quick-thinking petty officer dipped a shirt in water and saved my husband’s life. Many purple hearts were awarded for lung damage from the smoke.
The ship had a crew of 1,500 men, and everyone was deeply affected by this event.
By the second election of President Bush, we were not in a good place concerning the Iraq war. My husband was reliving the whole ship experience, and I was relating to wives waiting to see if they would become widows. We turned to our right-wing Republican church for help and received nothing. We left the church and did not attend any church for two years. I wrote letters to the editor with a general theme about ending the Iraq war. One of the letters was directed at churches that supported the Iraq war. The only response was from John and Mary Ann Moser, First Mennonite Church, Bluffton, Ohio, who sent us an informational package on their “peace” church.
Carolyn Holderread Heggen wrote, “Only a welcoming community of spiritual people can speak with healing integrity to the soul terrors and paralyzing shame of the combat veteran.” Everyone who has served in a war zone, even civilians, needs a community that can provide a shelter in the midst of a storm.
Associated Issue: Urgency and patience - July 8, 2008
Associated Article: The wounds of war
Current Stories
Articles
- It takes more than Sunday school
- Web exclusive: A youth group's 'Kingdom of God' conversations
- A wedding with the earth in mind
- The treasure of adult Sunday school
- Mennonites and Sunday school attendance
- No more church as usual
News stories, digests and Meno Acontecer
- A wedding planned with others in mind
- Focus groups want health-care access
- Mennonite elected officials
- Five racial/ethnic leaders assess Mennonite Church USA’s efforts to dismantle racism
- MVS heroes fight male-pattern violence
- CPTer faces deportation after public witness
- Asian woman leads Joint Christian Services
- MMA major office upgrade underway
- Conrad offered a life of medical service
- Neufeld, Bethel’s seventh president, dies at 88
- Mennonites want Jesus for President
- Long-term ‘being’ better than quick fix
- Five Global South leaders review EMM
- Parents of abducted children get help
- Señales en el Camino ... ¿Qué dice el hermano Kanagy?
- Jóven, ¡Las escuelas menonitas son diferentes!
- Reflexión Pastoral - 6
- ¡Asamblea Bienal de la Iglesia Menonita Hispana!
- Declaracion de inmigracion