Rick was killed after taking Turner’s place on a mission in Ramadi, Iraq. Turner had injured his ankle and was not allowed participate.
“There are a lot of moments since then, where it’s just been, like, ‘why?’” he said. “Why did I stay alive? How many times has God’s hand kind of come in and touched my shoulder?”
Turner was one of nearly 20 veterans to speak Sunday at a Veterans’ Town Hall at Burlington City Hall. Veterans shared their experiences with war and talked about the importance of support once they returned home.
Turner, who moderated the event, said many veterans question why they survived when their friends in the army didn’t make it home.
“But I think it’s absurd to beat ourselves up over that,” he said. “Because we are here, and we have the opportunity to do something right with our lives, to find justice, to find peace, to find a sense of purpose.”
The event was organized by Kristen Eaton, who was inspired by a suggestion in Sebastian Junger’s book “Tribe” to give veterans a chance to talk about war in their local communities.
This is the second year the event was held in Burlington. A coinciding event on Sunday was held at American Legion Post 31 in Rutland.
Kevin Maloney was a helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War. He reflected on the complexity of war and his complicated post-war emotions.
He recalled a day when he picked up a group of severely injured soldiers. He said that he could never forget seeing their suffering, but that he was proud of helping save some of their lives.
“For me, the ugliest day in my life was also the day when I was in Vietnam I was most proud of,” he said.
Maureen Dwyer served as an army nurse during the Vietnam War. As an ICU trauma nurse during the war, she said she worked 12-hour shifts six days a week.
“There was no family there, so we were family to all the wounded,” she said.
Many veterans spoke about the importance engaging with available resources to help cope with the trauma of war. Local veterans’ groups were present, including the VFW of Burlington, Supportive Services for Veteran Families, Vermont Veterans Outreach, Will Miller Green Mountain Veterans for Peace and Warriors SOAR.
Shannon Blake, the founder and president of Warriors SOAR, brings veterans together to participate in healthy activities, like hiking, biking and golfing. The organization’s mission is suicide prevention, he said.
“Veterans hanging out with veterans, they get it, and it’s easier to talk about stuff and get stuff out,” Blake said. “And by doing that, we’re able to focus on available resources that are out there.”
Turner, who is now a farmer in Bristol, said that a lot of veterans are hesitant to talk about their experiences, except in the presence of other veterans. This widens the gap between veterans and non-veterans and leads to a lack of community understanding of the experiences of those who have served in combat, he said.
“When community veterans and nonveterans have the opportunity to gather, there’s these doors that open for individuals which might help them move forward in life,” Turner said.
Most of the speakers were new this year, as were audience members, he noted.
“That is a measure of success because you see the community is invested in the veteran population in this state,” he said.
