Coming home from war

Coming home from war

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In the ongoing national conversation about the legacy and impact of 9/11, there are inevitably conversations about the two wars that have followed the shocking events of that day, and of the impact these wars have had on the lives of the men and women who continue to serve.  

The nearly 1.7 million veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, their 1.2 million spouses and 900,000 children, often describe how re-entry into civil society can sometimes be more challenging than the experience of war itself. This has been especially true for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries, which some describe as the “signature injury” of these wars.

In March, the University of Chicago convened a panel of writers and veterans to talk about their experiences with re-entry. Panelists included Jack Fuller, the former editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, and Michael Sullivan, the Illinois State Director of Student Veterans of America.  Fuller is a veteran of the Vietnam war and Sullivan is a Marine Corps veteran who has served in Kosovo, Haiti and Iraq.

During the panel, Fuller and Sullivan compared notes on how they were received by their friends and society at large when they returned. They agreed that although much has changed, things haven’t necessarily gotten any easier. You can hear their conversation in the audio above.

Dynamic Range showcases hidden gems unearthed from Chicago Amplified’s vast archive of public events and appears on weekends. Jack Fuller and Michael Sullivan spoke at an event presented by The University of Chicago in March. Click here to hear the event in its entirety.