Donna Arz
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Evelyn, an Army nurse who served in the Vietnam War, shared a story of such prolonged suffering that I was unable to turn away. For too many years, Evelyn held onto the bitter experiences of her service as a helicopter nurse, reliving day in and day out the toll that the trauma of war takes on our veterans’ bodies, minds and spirits. She was in the final stages of pancreatic cancer and, understandably, she wanted peace in her life as she neared the end.
So struck was I by her narrative that I started the Forgotten Soldier Program based in Auburn, California in 2004. The more I worked with Evelyn, the clearer the picture of how the war had become stuck in her body, trapping her entire being.
The Forgotten Soldier Program provides integrative healthcare to American veterans without charge, providing them with the opportunity to participate in holistic heath care, which focuses on healing the whole person – body, mind and spirit.
Our team – primarily volunteers in their encore years – has assisted more than 17,000 veterans with holistic therapies, education, resources and transitional tools. We treat physical pain, moral injuries, PTSD and military sexual trauma.
I knew that with my professional background, doctorate in theology, philosophy and religion; my entrepreneurial spirit; and my success in business, and with a strong team of dedicated volunteers, we could provide veterans with the heavy dose of hope, treatment and ongoing therapy they need. I could help veterans re-engage with their lives and society, just as I helped others through my founding of The Healing Light Institute in California.
A veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes in America and suicide attempts by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are at unprecedented heights. Returning home with both visible and invisible wounds and unable to reintegrate into family and community life, they feel disassociated from themselves and their previous civilian life. For me and our staff and volunteers, helping our veterans achieve positive results is beyond rewarding; it gives real, true and profound purpose to our lives.
Why let a meaningless number, such as age, dictate what we can or cannot do. Like me, many of the folks I work with are in their encore careers. I witness absolutely zero degradation of service, ability, interest or commitment. To the contrary! We are focused, driven, capable, vital and spirited. And we know to our core that the work we do has immeasurable purpose for American heroes.