Veterans shared personal stories about combat, returning home and the importance of community support after military service.
PHOENIX — As war with Iran continues overseas, veterans from multiple generations gathered in Phoenix Thursday to reflect on military service, sacrifice and what troops need most when they return home from conflict.
The “Generations of Service” forum brought together veterans from the Vietnam War, Operation Iraqi Freedom and other eras ahead of the 30th anniversary of the Honoring America’s Veterans Parade in Phoenix. The event also tied into the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary.
Veterans shared personal stories about combat, returning home and the importance of community support after military service.
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Marine Corps veteran, said civilians often do not fully understand what service members experience during war.
“What they need is folks to understand that what they’ve been through is not usual, it’s not normal, and it’s not something that anybody should ever really have to go through,” Fontes said.
Army veteran Brian Ishmael said he joined the military shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks and quickly found himself deployed to Iraq.
“I found myself, you know, going straight to a deployment in Iraq, you know, and then another deployment after that,” Ishmael said.
He said while he understood the risks of military service, the speed of deployment was still jarring.
“Going straight from basic training, you know, right to my unit, and then right to Kuwait was shocking,” he said.
Ishmael said transitioning back into civilian life after combat came with its own challenges, especially adjusting to everyday routines and workplace culture.
“Coming straight back from a combat deployment to entering a civilian workforce. Those two things are very different, and I find myself I can still remember a time overhearing a conversation about the ride into work today was terrible, and traffic and this and that, and I’m just sitting here thinking, you have no idea how nice this is, to be able to come to work like this,” Ishmael said.
He credited a strong support system with helping him adjust after returning home.
“All of that camaraderie we had with our service members, you know that there was a very deep relationship that we’ve had with each other. And then when you get out, that is just pulled out from under you,” Ishmael said.
Vietnam veteran and former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley also spoke during the forum. Romley, who was wounded in Vietnam and lost both legs, said he also lost his best friend during the war. He later spent years working with veterans dealing with PTSD through the veterans court system.
Romley said one of the lasting lessons from the Vietnam era is how returning service members should be treated.
“Never again treat a veteran as they treated the Vietnam veteran,” Romley said. “Sure argue about the politics. Is War right or wrong? Should we be there? Not be there, but for those that just serve, you know, they just signed on the dotted line and took that oath. Always remember that they were willing to give their life for this country. And to me, that’s what all the 250 years is about.”
The Honoring America’s Veterans Parade is scheduled to return to Phoenix in November.
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