Pastoral Presence with Veterans

Karin A. Craven
When I stop by for a visit, one veteran opens up about his experiences as an army medic in Korea, after weeks of not talking about anything personal. He hasn’t joined the usual American Legion Hall or the VFW because he doesn’t want to sit down at bars and rehash war stories. He hasn’t talked much about his experience over the years, and only to a few people. He tells me about the sparse language veterans use when they talk about their war experience.