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Jonathan Wei has heard more veterans' stories than you can imagine. As the founder and creator of The Telling Project he's spent his time — hours and hours of it — interviewing Oregon veterans and listening to and videotaping their war stories. Jonathan Wei takes those hours of tape and writes a narrative of their tales. He weaves some stories together and keeps some monologues independent. While Wei writes, the veterans take performance classes. Weeks later those veterans take to the stage to tell their stories, as scripted by Wei, to the general public.
The Telling Project has been performed in Portland and Eugene. And now it's hitting the national stage — big time. On Veterans Day, five members of the Project will perform live for Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, and an audience of movers and shakers in D.C. We'll hear from Wei, who will be getting his team prepped for the big performance, and from some of the participants in Telling, Portland.
How did telling their stories affect their memories of service? How did it affect the way they integrated back into daily life? Did it help friends and families understand what they went through?
If you are a veteran, do you share your stories? If so, how? If not, why not? If you are the loved one of a veteran are there stories you want to hear that you haven't? How open are veterans in your life to telling their tales of service?
Tagged as: iraq · military · veteran · war
Photo credit: Daveblog / Creative Commons
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My grandfather would often share stories of his time overseas during WWII. He was an Army Air Corps Engineer. He passed this summer and I was reminded of his story about arriving back in the United States after returning from his service in the middle east and northern Africa. It was nighttime and his ship was entering New York Harbor. He looked out across the water and there was the Statue of Liberty, torch aglow. He looked up and said, "You can turn out the light sister. Old Freddie's home."
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I am currently writing my doctoral dissertation on multicultural and mythological manifestations of the Wounded Hero and am creating a puppet show for the children of wounded service members. As part of my research I went to see the Telling Project a few months ago in Portland and was incredibly moved by the courage of the veterans who told their stories. To share such intimate moments of horror, confusion and pain with an audience of strangers in hopes of stimulating dialogue - these veterans know the true meaning of what it is to be a hero. It means risk and sacrifice on the battlefield, and it means risk and sacrifice on the homefront in a society that often does a better job honoring fallen soldiers than taking care of the ones who are still alive and kicking. THANK YOU to the Telling Project for helping these men and women truly come home.
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As a Vietnam Vet I could not agree more. When I returned I can still recall how people had wonder "where have you been?" It was as if I'd gone to Europe on vacation or something. Later on I became one of the rare vets to get a PhD and become a professor. Once in academe it stunned me how few vets were professorial faculty. Vets do not fit the "diversity" mold. There is still resentment within universities toward veterans.
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Why are there so many "homeless vets" standing on the street corners asking for money, and will work for food etc? Would they maybe claim to be such when they are not? What would be the point of that? If they are homeless vets, (from whatever war or military service) why are they not provided for by our government?
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Some veterans do recieve disability, compensation, vocational rehab, and the VA does the best it can do with what it has.
There is alot of misunderstanding about benefits, Uncle Sam doesn't guarantee your success following your service, the VA Home loan program is good, but no handout...
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Thank you for this tremendous show, and for letting us know about the important work of The Telling Project. I was one of the unfortunate many who did not get to see this story project. Is there a transcript we can read? Is there a chance of it coming back to Oregon? Is there a DvD?
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If you're who I think you are, Portland Telling script just emailed. If not, let me know and I'll send it to you.
DVDs do exist, I'll get you one of those, too. The actual performances always varied some from the script and sometimes good stuff happened.
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Your question, "Do you share your stories," made me think about my efforts to relate my war experiences (from more than one conflict) and reminded me that the difference isn't just between veterans and non-veterans. Even my non-combat fellow service members don't understand--perhaps can't understand--what it was like.
After attempting to explain my experiences in various wars, particularly the one in Iraq, I've concluded that war is one of those things that people have to experience first-hand to really comprehend. Not that I'm recommending such an experience for everyone, but I don't think anything else makes it "real" to a listener.
I'm still serving in the Air Force Reserve, and when I hear fellow service members carp about their petty problems stateside, I sometimes feel obliged to explain that they really have no idea what it's like to be in a truly "operational" military role until they are deployed for a long time in a combat zone.
None of this is meant as a put-down of anyone who has not "been there." I'm just answering your posted question about whether I share my stories, and why I usually don't anymore. If anyone has any suggestions about how to bridge the gap better than I have been able to, I'd be happy to learn them.
I salute my fellow vets. Thanks for running this show today.
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Why do so many veterans shun becoming university professors? Or are veterans discouraged from becoming veterans? Universities love to discuss and play upon issues of "diversity", yet one finds few actual veterans serving as professors. As a professor who served in Vietnam some 40 years ago this month it has been a long slog. Amazing to me has been the actual prejudice that still exists toward veterans and even the wish of faculty senates to get rid of ROTC. When I run into vets getting out I find it sad that the first thing they think of is being a "cop". The last thing on their mind is being a professor and bringing a whole new perspective on veterans like Graham Green and others. Vets don't know that some of our best writers and artists were, in fact, vets. Or know that the founders of FedEx are Vietnam vet fighter pilots! So, why so few vets as university profs????
Dr Robin Rose, Professor, Oregon State University
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I attended PSU folowing my initial military service, Your fellow professors are one reason that I have no interest in working in acadamia.
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My typing error in last statement... it should say "or are veterans discouraged from becoming professors?" sheesh! :-)
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I absolutely believe we need to hear the stories of the vets in our families, our communities and our nation...I grew up on family stories of various wars. However, I am always bemused by the lack of stories in our culture from another quarter...that of the bystanders in war situations.....I have friends, aquaintances, and patients who are all non-combatant survivors of conflicts from WW2 to Vietnam to El Salvador to Rwanda to the Balkans and the middle East. Almost all are women were children during the different conflicts. Where are there stories in the media, in our art forms, in our culture vocabulary? Until we also hear their stories as well as the stories of the vets and the ones our leaders tell, we as a country and as a world community can not develop a vision of a world that values all people, and which can envision peace as an outcome of conflict. As Kristoff and Wudunn state in the title of the new book "Half the Sky", women hold up half the sky......even in war, and yet their stories are rarely told.
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President Obama is not a "civilian" he is the top US Military Commander, our Commander in Chief.
And let's remember that MacChrystal took part in the coverup of the Pat Tillman "Friendly Fire" killing, and so simply cannot be trusted without consulting others to corroborate what he says.
Moreover, Bush/Cheney purged our General Officer Corps of Generals who disagreed with their disastrous policies and MacChrystal is one of the Generals that Bush/Cheney kept. Hs is entrenched in the Bush/Cheney mindset.
I am glad that Obama is taking his time in trying to figure out how to clean up the Bush/Cheney/PNAC mess. Our Military deserve far better than what Bush/Cheney did to them.
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Some people have a dislike for someone who would want to join the US army at this point in time. Some people have a dislike for someone who would want to join any army, at any time. An army is generally not a noble affair. Armies have invaded, taken over, stolen, murdered and on-and-on throughout history. It is true at certain points in time, armies have defended the world from atrocities out of necessity. But armies should very much be measured by their current mission, and scrutiny should be continually revisited. Armies can be both good and bad, depending on what they are doing.
A lot of backlash, veterans may feel, is because of the disingenuous way in which the army is marketed initially. It is very much, you are with us or against us. It is very much, you must like us and worship us---or else. The army is often used as a mascot for conservative America and a lot of other America. It is often played as a trump card to get out of sticky situations.
People should be wary to worship any group of people---it is dangerous territory. Statistics generally don't give justification to worshiping soldiers or veterans as individuals or collectively. It would be hard to argue that the content of our troop's character is anything but average. Everyone should know, that at this point in time, in this country, there are better and more efficient ways to serve humanity then by joining our armies. But everyone does not seem to know this. They repeat the same rhetoric over and over, don the same yellow ribbons and ask for our blessings---to which I say: don't ask, don't tell!
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What you say is true. The military can be a very non-noble affair. There is taking of life, many times innocents and non-combatants do die. And there is no, no reason for that....because nothing in that sentence can be justified.
But at the same time, what would the world look like without any militaries. Good I suppose, less organized violence, no mass death...it would be a good world and if you ever find that world could you please send me a post card so I can go live there.
Simply put that world does not exist. And a world without organized violence or protection from violence is simply not feasible. Its not within the limits of human nature or systems at this time. And if you believe that it is feasible or possible the way world is...well that's one hell of a fairy tale and I challenge you to prove it on a large scale.
The point is militaries exist...for many reasons and they will continue to do so. As far as the current military, yes I agree that an army should be evaluated by its current mission. The obvious question there is who creates that mission? The military is an extension of the political arm which is supposed to express the populations will. So if our mission is not valid, the who's fault is that? Or is that fault shared amongst all of us?
And if there is a fault in the mission and that fault is shared should we then dump all the blame for a "wrong" mission at the military's doorstep? Or even the politicians? Are we not all complicit?
Ah, but you say..if people didn't join the military, then they wouldn't go after a "wrong" mission. By that logic if no one joined the American military then everything would be alright. If we had no military everyone would leave us alone. Again, fairly faulty logic since that is not in human nature...and there's a million other reasons that wouldn't be true.
Your saying people worship soldiers or veterans? As a former soldier and a veteran, I can tell you I've never been worshiped, rarely treated like I was normal, it happens, oh well.
And no one ever asked you to put on a yellow ribbon or give your blessing. At least I sure as hell didn't. And as long as this country, as long as we as people, sends folks to war, in the name of this country and the name of this people, even if you don't agree with it, if you can't stop it from happening, then yeah I think you should listen, you could at least listen as a human being. You might learn something.
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ezequel2517,
I am not sure what the world would look like without armies. I don't think any of us know. Even if we could prove armies are some kind of necessity there is nothing to say we should support, endorse, like or feel anything else towards them. Often things that seem necessary, like insurance, are simply the lesser of two evils. We are all culpable---I never buy into the principle that one should do something without questioning, or that following orders excludes you from responsibility. I don't think anyone buys into that wholly, or at least they only buy into it up to a point, and then when Jews start getting slaughtered, we start asking questions, we start holding individuals accountable for their complicity. It is the mission when things go well, then when things go wrong, we start holding individuals accountable. It is generally a combination of both. I don't know how things would be if no one joined the American Military. I suspect we would not have gone to war in Iraq without the troops though.
It is not really about listening is it? It sure sounds nice though.
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scottmil, You never cease to astonish me.
Please do us all a favor and never discuss veterans or the military again.
You have no clue.
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It is about listening actually...and keeping an open mind. All of us.
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uncommonsense,
Have no clue about what? Do tell.
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"A lot of backlash, veterans may feel, is because of the disingenuous way in which the army is marketed initially."
First, it may just be the way I read your comments- barring that many of your posts, this one especially leave me with an impression that you think you are better, smarter, or more enlightened than others. You have no idea what kind of backlash Vets feel, you simply could not have a frame of reference and still post comments like the one below.
"They repeat the same rhetoric over and over, don the same yellow ribbons and ask for our blessings"
I do not know any Vets who have ever asked you for a anything, I don't care how you feel when you say things like:
"Everyone should know, that at this point in time, in this country, there are better and more efficient ways to serve humanity then by joining our armies"
If you don't understand why I think you have no clue now, it only lends creedance to my assumption.
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I certainly can understand how I might come off as sounding like an elitist, because I am. I think you pick this up, not only because it is obvious, but because you recognize it in yourself. The moniker 'uncommonsense'---'elitist', yes it is. Look through your own comments: "Your fellow professors are one reason that I have no interest in working in acadamia." Et al.
"I do not know any Vets who have ever asked you for a anything", I suspect you wouldn't unless you have been around me in person. 'Cause I know quite a few, literally and figuratively. Perhaps you are saying vets at large don't want anything from me personally, but do they want anything from anyone, from society at large? Or they just don't want anything from anyone in general? But this is all beside the point---isn't it?
"Everyone should know, that at this point in time, in this country, there are better and more efficient ways to serve humanity then by joining our armies." How true. Yep, still clueless. You could at least ask what other 'ways' I propose? 'Cause maybe I don't have any and then I might look 'dumber'. Or, why should anyone serve humanity at all? Just saying 'it' lends credence to your assumption, doesn't cut it.
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Comments are now closed.
Veterans Day is more than a sale at Macys. There has been confusion in the past, but today I think it is understood that you are assigned the mission, trust it's importance, and put your life on the line to do it.
Thank you Veterans for your service!