Kruse Corner Podcast

Stories are powerful. They allow histories and traditions to be shared with future generations. They provide wisdom and insight. For some of us, stories were the way we learned to communicate and acknowledge deeply rooted pain and trauma. For myself, stories allowed me to break a silence that was slowly killing me. This episode covers what opening up about my past did and did not do for me. How it helped me out of a dark place and to find a path towards healing.

Transition is rough. That is something that many veterans can agree on. But what happens during our transition varies. This episode covers everything from my struggle to leave the military behind, the poor coping mechanisms I learned, mistakes made during transition, using training to survive, and why talking about these experiences can be important to someone thinking about suicide. Content for this episode can be found in "The Gaslit Heart: A Story of Service and Survival."

When Kruse Corner was still just a blog, there was a section that contained excerpts from a journal I had kept while deployed to Afghanistan. I had shared it with the intention of presenting another perspective of a combat zone. The Kruse Corner Podcast just had its 2-year anniversary and to recognize that, I have brought back one of the most requested and commented on sections of the original blog: The POG Diaries. Remember, it isn't always about who has the best story. Sometimes its simply about sharing different perspectives so we can connect. While this episode only contains roughly 10 percent of the original journal, the excerpts selected are meant to provide examples of how an individual changes, the dark sense of humor, death and loss, highs and lows, bonding, and disconnect that take place during and after a deployment. If you have a story you would like to share about your deployment, service, or transition, please reach out on Instagram to schedule a Zoom call.

This episode was not recorded to try to downplay anything people have gone through, especially in war. It isn't to make combat sound as though all can relate to every aspect of it. If you have the badass war story that you say you do, then you already know others cannot take that away by sharing their own experiences or by simply stating that they understand. I just want you to think; to take a moment and consider -- maybe we aren't so different. Maybe we can relate, more than we realize. 

Last year (2020) Fort Hood gained the attention of an entire nation when the Guillen family began demanding answers for the disappearance and murder of SPC Vanessa Guillen. Known for corruption, cover-ups, murders, disappearances, and other unbelievable stories, Fort Hood is anything but "The Great Place."

Source: Jeong, May. (2021, July 6). Inside the rash of unexplained deaths at Fort Hood. Vanity Fair.

Corrections: Time Stamp (PV2 Morales) I said the "Army" pressed military investigators for information about the missing Kia Rio. I should have said the "family" of Wedel-Morales. In regarding the anonymous tip, I misspoke and said the "tip" was not claimed. Should have been "reward." 

This episode covers several military stories involving service members that were sexually assaulted and then punished for being a victim of MST. Details of violence and rape are included in this recording. Discretion is advised.

Sources for this episode: Change.org, Human Rights Watch, and Protect our Defenders. The Heath Phillips story is from the video "Heath's Story of Surviving Military Sexual Assault." Two of the articles used were "Embattled: Retaliation Against Sexual Assault Survivors in the US Military" and "Booted: Lack of Resources for Wrongfully Discharged US Military Rape Survivors." Discretion is advised for this episode as these stories contain details of violence, rape, and suicide. 

This episode covers two cases from the early 2000's that still don't have all the answers. Kamisha Block's family was told that she died in a friendly-fire accident in Iraq, while LaVena Johnson's family was informed that she had committed suicide on her deployment. When both families received the body of their loved one, they had questions. What had happened to these women and what was the Army trying to hide?

This episode gives a brief overview of the Asia Graham case. Just because Christian Alvarado -- the soldier that sexually assaulted Asia back in December of 2019 -- received his sentencing on June 18th of this year, it doesn't mean that this case needs to be swept off to the side to be forgotten. Change is still needed and until that happens, stories like this one will continue to take place. 

Between the WWII vets that were near atomic bomb testing, the Vietnam and Gulf War veterans that were around chemicals, and Post 9/11-era veterans that were stationed near burn pits, millions of military personnel have been exposed to toxins that are causing them to suffer or die. These men and women do not have time for the VA's denials. They do not have time for politicians to play their games, or time for legislative efforts to be put on hold or overlooked. Changes are needed now. Care is needed now! 

The article by David Goldstein discussed in this episode was called "Nearly all VA claims for Gulf War Illness improperly denied" and it can be found at Thewarhorse.org.