The Soldiers Who Live Among Us | Mike Turner | TEDxHieronymusPark
Kipling's poem highlights how society forgets the soldier in peace, a sentiment echoed by the speaker who argues that the US government, via the VA, is slighting veterans. The speaker provides evidence of systemic failure through statistics on enrollment rates and appointment delays, advocating that individuals must become vocal advocates to force Congressional action. The core plea is for Americans to actively pressure Congress to compel the Department of Veterans Affairs to fulfill its contractual duties to veterans. ## Speakers & Context - Speaker: Veteran who served in a Marine Corps Squad in the Hue district, South Vietnam, in 1970. - Context: Delivering a talk, referencing Rudyard Kipling's poem, addressing the status and service issues of American veterans. - Memoir detailing: Being diagnosed with PTSD 15 years after leaving Vietnam on the "freedom bird" in 1971. - Medical Event: Experienced an aneurysm in the thoracic aorta in September of 2017, saved by an endovascular graft installed by surgeon Matthew Sweet at the University of Washington. - Lifestyle change: Entered a 20-year period of living as a recluse after his business failed around December 2016, before his medical recovery. ## Theses & Positions - Veterans, particularly those returning from conflict, are being slighted by the government. - The primary culprit for this slight is the U.S. government, specifically the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). - The VA, though established with critical benefits (medical, financial), has grown into a "monstrosity" and is failing its duty. - Individuals must become "advocates or a champion for a veteran near you" because veterans often suffer from avoidance and reluctance to seek help. - The American people must pressure Congress to force the Department of Veterans Affairs to fulfill its contractual requirements to veterans. ## Concepts & Definitions - **Recluse:** Defined as someone who isolates themselves, distinct from a Hermit. - **Endovascular graft:** A man-made aortic replacement used to save the speaker's life. - **PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder):** A common condition among veterans, manifesting in various ways. - **Somatic experiencing:** A therapy modality through which the speaker found personal help. - **VA's role:** Responsible for fulfilling the contractual obligations owed to veterans for service. ## Mechanisms & Processes - **PTSD Manifestation:** Can manifest in many ways, with some similarities observed. - **Substance Abuse in PTSD:** Six in ten veterans report smoking; 20% are addicted to one or more substances. - **Marital Impact:** PTSD is linked to a significant increase in marital strife, rising from 40% to 80% in documented cases. - **VA Bureaucracy:** The VA encompasses three divisions: National Cemetery Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and Veterans Health Administration. - **Service Access:** The VA is not proactive; it will not "hunt down the veteran and force those benefits on him." ## Timeline & Sequence - **19th Century:** Kipling wrote the poem concerning soldiers in times of war vs. peace. - **1970:** Speaker was part of a Marine Corps Squad fighting the Viet Cong in the Hue district, South Vietnam. - **1971 (January 28):** Speaker left Vietnam aboard the "freedom bird." - **1971 - 1986 (estimated):** Period where PTSD symptoms developed, with no diagnosis for 15 years. - **2016 (December):** Speaker's business ended, leading him to retirement. - **2017 (September):** Speaker suffered a thoracic aorta aneurysm. - **2018 (Early):** Speaker joined a PTSD Therapy Group for veterans. - **2019:** Speaker noted conversations in the therapy group regarding VA failures. ## Named Entities - **Hometown USA:** Location where veterans return to live among the community. - **Marine Corps:** Military branch served in. - **Hue district:** Location of service in South Vietnam. - **Viet Cong:** Enemy force encountered during service. - **University of Washington:** Location where the speaker received life-saving treatment. - **Matthew Sweet:** Gifted young surgeon who saved the speaker's life. - **Montana:** State where the speaker returned to live with his family. ## Numbers & Data - Service period: **1970** in South Vietnam. - Time elapsed since leaving Vietnam: **52 years** (by 1971). - PTSD diagnosis delay: **15 years**. - Aneurysm date: **September of 2017**. - VA establishment: **1930**. - Medical benefits added: **1946**. - WWII veterans return date: **1946**. - VA reorganization: **1989** (elevated to cabinet level department). - VA membership statistics (since 2001): Only **62%** of servicemen separated are enrolled in the VA. - Enrollment barrier: **38%** of non-enrolled veterans cite the "unpleasant nature of the enrollment process." - Last year's appointment failures: **19.7 million** appointments canceled, rescheduled, or delayed. - Average wait time (Community Care Program): **41.9 days**. - Boomer retirements: Seniors retiring in "record numbers." - Soldiers sent to the Middle East: **26 million** in the last 20 years. - PTSD incidence (Middle East veterans): **20%** of the 26 million returned had PTSD. - PTSD incidence (Vietnam veterans): **37%** (segment mentioned). - Divorce rate related to PTSD: Rises to **80%**. ## Examples & Cases - **Kipling’s poem:** Opened with the poem: *"In times of war and not before God and the soldier we adore in times of peace all things righted God has forgotten the soldier slighted I believe God can take care of himself."* - **Service location:** Fought the Viet Cong "on his own turf on his own terms in the night and in the mud" in the Hue district. - **Personal survival:** Surviving the aneurysm required the endovascular graft, allowing him to tell the attending physician, *"Mike you should be dead go home and live life."* - **Reclusion lifestyle:** Living in his van on the road while working a small service business, with a wife on the property. - **Therapy group participation:** Observing Young Veterans being "angry and frustrated" and Boomer veterans "muttering and mumbling negativities." - **Alternative treatments mentioned:** One therapist using cannabis/marijuana for treatment; use of mild doses of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin. - **Successful intervention:** A young veteran's wife partially saved their marriage through a "wives counseling session." ## Tools, Tech & Products - **Freedom bird:** The airplane taken on January 28, 1971. - **Endovascular graft:** Medical device that replaced the thoracic aorta. - **VA:** Department of Veterans Affairs, encompassing three divisions. ## References Cited - Rudyard Kipling: Author of the poem quoted. ## Trade-offs & Alternatives - **Systemic failure critique:** Government overhauls (e.g., the VA reorganization in 1989) failed to prevent current systemic issues. - **VA alternatives:** Non-profit organizations offer alternative therapy; alternative treatments include cannabis/marijuana and psychedelic drugs. - **Advocacy actions:** Potential actions include working with Senators and Representatives to unseat those who do not support veterans. ## Counterarguments & Caveats - **Difficulty of service:** The VA's struggle is exacerbated by the Boomers retiring in record numbers, straining resources for benefits eligibility. - **Self-Reliance:** Veterans are reluctant to accept or ask for services; the VA relies on the veteran or representative to "identify what benefits he's eligible for." ## Methodology - **Narrative Testimony:** Using personal life story (PTSD recovery, medical crisis, period of reclusion) to frame critique of institutional failure. - **Data Presentation:** Citing VA metrics (enrollment %, canceled appointments, wait times) to substantiate claims of systemic failure. - **Advocacy Model:** Proposing the solution is personal, organized political pressure on Congress. ## Conclusions & Recommendations - Veterans are currently slighted by the government, which is inadequately managing services through the VA. - Individuals must become tenacious advocates, forcing the system to fulfill its contractual duties. - The ultimate responsibility rests with the American people to ensure veterans are no longer slighted. ## Implications & Consequences - Failure to act results in veterans suffering from systemic neglect, exemplified by high PTSD rates and treatment hurdles. - The contract between the veteran and the government is jeopardized without active political intervention. ## Verbatim Moments - *"In times of war and not before God and the soldier we adore in times of peace all things righted God has forgotten the soldier slighted I believe God can take care of himself"* (Kipling's poem). - *"I was part of a Marine Corps Squad that lived in the veils with the people in huduk District South Vietnam there we fought the Viet Cong on his own turf on his own terms in the night and in the mud it all ended 52 years ago"* - *"Mike you should be dead go home and live life"* (Attending physician quote). - *"I was doing a 20-year period of living as a recluse not a Hermit"* - *"The monstrosity we know today has grown to the second largest bureaucracy in our nation"* - *"The squeaky will gets to Greece"* (Old saying, used metaphorically). - *"it is we the American people who must Ensure that those soldiers who live among us our veterans are no longer slighted"*