I had an intriguing evening this evening. At the outset, I thought I was going to eat ribs at coworkers house. Instead, I met a man named Daniel. He’s an Army vet who pulled multiple tours in Iraq. His war wounds are clearly visible on each arm, and his goal in life is to speak into the Veteran community all over the US, to see them set free of depression and trauma caused by war.

He’s a damn hero, and not just because he “fought for his country” but because he’s still fighting his guys. He’s fighting for their spirits.

My Broken Cousin

I have a cousin who is haunted by what he did “for his country” in Iraq. He served pulled multiple tours in Iraq, including one after Stop Loss policy forced him into it. Tim has been right since. He suffers from PTSD, and very few things seem to make a difference in his approach to or outlook on life.

I haven’t heard from Timmy in six years. The last time I texted him was soon after his older brother(also my cousin) passed away unexpectedly. He told me it was the toughest day of his life, which is saying something for a decorated war vet. I’m certain it was another gut punch to his already frayed reality.

What Can Any of Us Do?

I know Tim suffers. He’s angry and scared. And, he’s full of pain. Like most American’s I want to help him, but how? I feel stranded on one side of a divide I cannot cross. It’s one reason I don’t ever want to go to war. It’s hell on the living and the dead. Men who espouse it are dumb f*cks. (How’s that for eloquence?)

When I met Daniel last night, I didn’t have high expectations. His long beard and Vans skate shoes were solid indicators he’s from the eastern mountains of California. I like to call them California mountain hippies. They are the opposite of weed/surf hippies you might imagine in San Francisco or LA. These people go to church and love guns.

The Lord Has a Plan

After dinner we talked about what he felt was his next adventure. Up to that point, nothing about the man was terribly interesting to me. Nice guy. Gun nut. Former pastor. Then he began to share his heart to see his fellow GIs set free from all the issues vets face.

For the next two hours I listened to him talk his experience going into, being in, and leaving the Army. He told me the usual story of his faux recruitment*. Follow that up with training unrelated to the mission given to his unit. (Daniel’s unit was trained to fight in the mountains of Afghanistan during the winter…he ended up in sunny Iraq in the dead of summer.) Then of course there is his experience engaging the enemy in and around Bagdad^.

What makes Daniel’s story different from any I’ve know is what he did when he got out. He didn’t run to booze, pills, or weed. He ran to the Lord, and decided he was not going to allow war to rob him of life after the service. Now, he wants to preach the Gospel of healing to his brothers in arms. As he spoke, I felt hope lift in the my heart for men like my cousin Tim.

The Lord Wants Them Whole

Our great country has a long history of shitting on its military veterans. Dating all the way back to the Revolution, we demanded a lot of these men (and women), and mostly forget what they’ve sacrificed. Ironically, while I believe we must follow through on supporting the vets as much as possible, I truly believe it’s the Lord who holds their healing in his hands.

Daniel has a voice and the experience to connect with veterans in a way I never will. What he has is authority and training to be effective. What he lacks is a platform and marketing know how. That’s where I come in.

I know video production, best practices, and how to use data analytics to improve content. And, I’ll do what I can to ensure his message is heard. This is my opportunity to contribute to this fight, for the hearts and minds of brave ones.

Thank you Lord for random meetings and men like Daniel. I know he’s not the only one who’ve called to reach our broken vets, but I’m thankful I got to meet him.

(*United States military recruiters are liars. Period. I have no moral or personal issue stating it. Every single enlisted man I have ever known was lied to by his recruiter. Every. Single. One. It’s not a mistake or isolated problem. It’s a the way it is.

^I intentionally left out many details of Daniel’s story because it’s his story.)