Part of opening ceremony for "The Wall That Heals," Emporia, Kan., 8/14/2025

Our citizens here in the United States look at veterans as heroes. And we greatly appreciate the honor!
But as veterans, we're just those who did the jobs we were assigned to do.
Then we returned home, feeling strange,
carrying varying degrees of survivor’s guilt.
For us, our heroes did not return home.
That's exactly what “The Wall That Heals” is all about,
honoring those specific heroes and helping our survivors heal.
So with that in mind, I'm here to try and pass on some thoughts that might be beneficial.
Though the poem was written for Vietnam vets, it applies to all vets.
That's the point of this poem, helping our survivors heal.
The poem is called

“Sitting At The Wall”.
Families and Vets, come gather round.
The Wall That Heals, is honored ground.
Come pull up a chair, and sit a spell.
Set your thoughts at the wall, till all is well.

Nam is far off, in the distant past.
But keep good memories. Make 'em last.
Remember good times. Remember your friends.
Through you, their memory has no end.

Survivors guilt, you must carry no more.
Let it go. Set it free, on that distant shore.
Remember their lives, their stories the fun.
And live your life. Your duty you've done.

Your buddies would want, you to know.
Through you they can live, vicariously though.
So tell of good times, their smile their laugh,
Or of the prank, where y'all got a bath.

They would want you to know, that it's not wrong,
To tell of their life; in story, poem or song.
Yes their story, they'd want you to give.
But sometimes first, there's yourself to forgive.

Help them live on, by living yourself.
Don't place these life stories, up on a shelf.
Though not with you now, Help them live on.
Retell their stories, saying "Once upon ...".

In this poem I tried to highlight the trauma-induced guilt still carried
by far too many. It needs to be dealt with, not bottled up.
Bottling it up costs us more than 6,000 veteran suicides a year.
I know this personally. This year I lost a veteran friend to suicide.
He did 3 tours in the middle east.
Honor and respect your veterans with your non-judgmental attention.
Be ready to talk with them. Listen to them.
Hear anything they have to say about where they were, and what they did.
Be there, even if it's just to sit and say nothing while they think about it.
Your presence means a great deal to them!