{"id":14654,"date":"2015-12-30T14:30:51","date_gmt":"2015-12-30T19:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/?p=14654"},"modified":"2015-12-30T14:30:51","modified_gmt":"2015-12-30T19:30:51","slug":"the-things-they-saw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/the-things-they-saw\/","title":{"rendered":"The Things They Saw"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><div id='fullscreen_slider_1'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_fifth  avia-builder-el-first   container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='14601'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_1'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-1 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 145.631067961%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/FEAT-Brennan-Beck-1030x1500.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-1' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_left\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >the things they saw<\/h2><div class='avia-caption-content  '  itemprop=\"description\"  ><p>by Nancy Spitler<br \/>\nphotos by Ashley Jones and Brennan Beck<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_1'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-14654'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><blockquote>\n<p>His eyes are the first things that strike you. They\u2019re green. And very intense. And they\u2019ve seen a great deal.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>His beard adds a few years on him, but Brennan Beck still looks way too young to have survived two combat deployments in Iraq before he enrolled in college and completed his bachelor\u2019s degree at Sonoma State University (California) with an emphasis on creative writing. At Clemson, he\u2019s a program coordinator in the English department, a position that makes him the face of the department for students who are looking for more information about registration, about declaring a major, about those everyday details that somehow elude you when you\u2019re 19.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>By the time Beck was 19, he had spent a year in Germany and had been deployed to Iraq. He had experienced the death of his closest friend and roommate, Ross McGinnis, who made the split-second decision to fall back on the grenade that had been dropped in his Humvee in order to save the lives of the four other men in the vehicle.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>They had shrapnel wounds, but all four of those men survived. For his act of heroism, McGinnis received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation\u2019s highest award.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Brennan-McGinnis-grave.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14670\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Brennan-McGinnis-grave-300x202.jpg\" alt=\"Brennan McGinnis grave\" width=\"300\" height=\"202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/01\/Brennan-McGinnis-grave-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/01\/Brennan-McGinnis-grave-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/01\/Brennan-McGinnis-grave-705x474.jpg 705w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/01\/Brennan-McGinnis-grave.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>The company Beck and McGinnis served with had 14 men killed in action during Beck\u2019s 15-month deployment. According to a story in the <em>Army Times<\/em>, their 500-member Task Force 1-26 had 122 Purple Hearts and 31 deaths, more than any Army battalion since Vietnam.<br \/>\n\u201cI witnessed some truly remarkable, amazing things, and I experienced some graphic and horrifying things, too,\u201d says Beck. \u201cI\u2019m a religious person; I feel like God definitely had a hand in me making it out of there. Ever since, I\u2019ve always wondered, \u2018Why was I spared? What\u2019s my purpose?\u2019 I think a lot of us are trying to figure that out. I\u2019m trying to discover that for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-4  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_2'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-5  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='14669'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_2'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-2 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 131.946308725%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/01\/1000yard31.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-2' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_left caption_left_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >The thousand-yard stare<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_2'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-14654'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-6  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Every day, 22 veterans take their own lives. That\u2019s a stunning statistic, and one that most people find hard to wrap their heads around. It\u2019s easy to hear that and think, \u201cOh, they must have meant 22 a month,\u201d which would be bad enough.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>But it is indeed 22 suicides a day, and somewhat surprisingly, the majority of those are not from the most recent war in Iraq. They\u2019re scattered across the spectrum of ages and wars.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-buddies.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-14590\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-buddies-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Brennan Beck buddies\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-buddies-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-buddies-705x529.jpg 705w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-buddies.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>It\u2019s a statistic that concerns Beck, and one with which he is intimately acquainted. In the six weeks before our first conversation, three members of his battalion had committed suicide. One had been a groomsman in Beck\u2019s wedding; another was his squad leader in Iraq.<br \/>\nIt has hit him hard. \u201cI don\u2019t consider myself (nor would my wife consider me) a very emotional person. I don\u2019t cry,\u201d he says. \u201cI get sad, but I don\u2019t ever cry. I can\u2019t. When I was a kid I was kind of a crybaby. When my dad would yell at me, I used to cry and think, \u2018I wish I wouldn\u2019t cry so much.\u2019 Now as an adult, I get sad and think, \u2018I wish I could cry.\u2019 I still feel all the pain and the sadness and the emotions that come with it, especially losing my friend, who was so close to me.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cBut when I write,\u201d he says, \u201cthat\u2019s my emotional release. It doesn\u2019t come out of my eyes; it comes out of my pen.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"line-height: 1.5\">That wasn\u2019t always the case.<\/span><br \/>\nBefore Beck headed off to the Army as a fresh-faced 18-year-old recruit, his high school buddies elicited a promise from him: \u201cYou\u2019ve got to tell us what it\u2019s like when you come back. You can\u2019t be like those guys who never talk about it once they come home.\u201d<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Iraq3.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14585\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Iraq3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Brennan Beck Iraq3\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Iraq3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Iraq3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Iraq3-705x529.jpg 705w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Iraq3.jpg 788w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Back home on R&amp;R after being in Germany for a year and then in Iraq, one of those buddies pushed him to share some war stories. \u201cI thought,\u201d says Beck, \u201cI can do this. I\u2019ll just tell him about a regular patrol.<br \/>\n\u201cSo I started \u2026 I got a few words into it and then I settled into what they call the \u2018thousand-yard stare.\u2019 It was too fresh; I couldn\u2019t do it.\u201d<br \/>\nThey started to hassle him, wanting details of what Army life was like in Iraq. And Beck snapped.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cThis is <em>entertainment<\/em> for you. This is my <em>life<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-9  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_3'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-10  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='14589'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_3'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-3 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 71.5%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Veteran-Writ2.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-3' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_center caption_center_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >The power to heal, connect and create<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_3'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-14654'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-11  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-12  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3><\/h3>\n<p>With two tours in Iraq, a Bronze Star with Valor and a Purple Heart to his credit, Beck came home to Stockton, California, in 2010. He enrolled in a nearby community college, but life wasn\u2019t coming easy. He was having nightmares and flashbacks, episodes where he thought he was hearing things. At the VA, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).<br \/>\n[pullquote]\u201cI was a mess,\u201d he says, \u201cand I remember thinking at the time, \u2018This is just how I\u2019m going to be. I just have to learn to deal with this. This is the new me.\u2019\u201d [\/pullquote]A friend encouraged him to attend a local veterans writing group. \u201cMy first reaction was, \u2018I\u2019m not a writer. It\u2019s not for me.\u2019\u201d<br \/>\nBeck decided to go; he ended up connecting with other vets and with writing. The group was structured like many other writing groups: They chatted a few minutes, then the leader gave the group a writing prompt and about 15 minutes to respond. When the time was up, members were invited to share what they had written if they desired. Beck\u2019s first entry into his journal was about his combat boots and all they had witnessed. He read that entry aloud, surprised that he could share those words with the group.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-studio1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-14591\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-studio1-300x217.jpg\" alt=\"Brennan Beck-studio1\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-studio1-300x217.jpg 300w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-studio1-768x556.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-studio1-705x510.jpg 705w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-studio1.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Beck realized that the more he wrote, the more he was able to express himself and deal with the traumas and emotions he was experiencing, a stark change from being a self-described \u201cclosed book to all of [his] family and friends.\u201d His PTSD symptoms became less intense and more controllable.<br \/>\n\u201cWriting takes my experiences that are jumbled and a mess, that I can\u2019t process or make sense of, and puts them in a form that I can manage, that I can organize and even manipulate if I need to. It helps me process those experiences.\u201d<br \/>\nThe leader suggested the writing group read Tim O\u2019Brien\u2019s book, <em>The Things They Carried<\/em>, about the author\u2019s experience in Vietnam. \u201cI read the book that week,\u201d says Beck. \u201cIt was amazing. Tim O\u2019Brien was a Vietnam vet half a century before me, and he was writing about the exact same things I was going through. It reminded me that I\u2019m not abnormal. I\u2019m not alone in this. This Vietnam vet had gone through the same thing, and he learned to cope with it, to overcome. That encouraged me to the point where I thought, \u2018Maybe this isn\u2019t how it has to be. Maybe this isn\u2019t where the road ends.\u2019\u201d<br \/>\nBeck was the youngest member of the group of about five who met regularly to write, read and reflect. The experience not only helped him begin to process the brutal experiences of war; it also allowed him to discover a passion for writing.<br \/>\n\u201cEven though I never considered myself a writer, I found an instant attraction to it,\u201d Beck says. \u201cI found that it not only helped me emotionally, but it filled me physically. I felt better after writing. I felt it had cleansed me in a way. [pullquote]I realized, then, that there is a true power to writing \u2014 a power to heal, a power to connect and a power to create.[\/pullquote]\u201d<br \/>\nHe changed his major to English and took every creative writing course he could. The nightmares and anxiety lessened; the depression loosened its grip. Beck, who credits the veterans writing group with \u201cencouraging me to be real, honest and open with myself and my past experiences,\u201d graduated summa cum laude from Sonoma State University.<br \/>\nAfter graduation, Beck and his wife Ashley, who is from Liberty, moved to South Carolina, and he was hired by the University\u2019s English department in September of 2014.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-14  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_fullscreen  avia-builder-el-last  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><!-- close content main div --><\/div><\/div><div id='fullscreen_slider_4'  class='avia-fullscreen-slider main_color   avia-builder-el-15  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth   slider-not-first container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><a href='#next-section' title='' class='scroll-down-link ' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue877' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/a><div   data-size='extra_large'  data-lightbox_size='large'  data-animation='slide'  data-conditional_play=''  data-ids='14588'  data-video_counter='0'  data-autoplay='false'  data-bg_slider='true'  data-slide_height='100'  data-handle='av_fullscreen'  data-interval='5'  data-class=' '  data-el_id=''  data-css_id='fullscreen_slider_4'  data-scroll_down='aviaTBscroll_down'  data-control_layout=''  data-custom_markup=''  data-perma_caption=''  data-autoplay_stopper=''  data-image_attachment=''  data-min_height='0px'  data-stretch=''  data-default-height='100'  class='avia-slideshow avia-slideshow-4 av-slider-scroll-down-active av-default-height-applied avia-slideshow-extra_large av_fullscreen   avia-slide-slider '  itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><ul class='avia-slideshow-inner ' style='padding-bottom: 70.125%;' ><li style='background-position:top left;' data-img-url='https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-VeteranWrit1.jpg' class=' av-single-slide slide-1 ' ><div data-rel='slideshow-4' class='avia-slide-wrap '   ><div class = \"caption_fullwidth av-slideshow-caption caption_right caption_right_framed caption_framed\"><div class = \"container caption_container\"><div class = \"slideshow_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_inner_caption\"><div class = \"slideshow_align_caption\"><h2  class='avia-caption-title  '  itemprop=\"name\" >We all have stories.<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><div id='after_full_slider_4'  class='main_color av_default_container_wrap container_wrap sidebar_right' style=' '  ><div class='container' ><div class='template-page content  av-content-small alpha units'><div class='post-entry post-entry-type-page post-entry-14654'><div class='entry-content-wrapper clearfix'><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-16  el_after_av_fullscreen  el_before_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-first  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-17  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3><\/h3>\n<p>When Beck arrived at Clemson, one of the first things he did was to check around for a veterans writing group. He was surprised, given Clemson\u2019s military history, that there wasn\u2019t one.<br \/>\nRather than complaining or asking someone else, he took it upon himself to start one. \u201cI\u2019m not under the illusion that writing is the end-all be-all cure-all for all vets,\u201d he says, \u201cbut I think that artistic expression is what will help a lot of people. And If I can help one veteran at Clemson \u2014 help them overcome \u2014 then it\u2019s a job well done.\u201d Beginning last February, a group of five to six writers has gathered for an hour every week to focus on writing.<br \/>\nWhen he began looking for a spot for the group to meet, he went to Barbara Ramirez, a lecturer in the English department who is also director of the Class of \u201941 Studio for Student Communication.<br \/>\nRamirez immediately saw the natural fit for the group to meet in the Class of \u201941 Studio. \u201cThe guys in the Class of \u201941 knew where they were going when they graduated. They would love to have this [veterans writing group] meet here.\u201d<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-diary.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-14676\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-diary-240x300.jpg\" alt=\"Brennan Beck-diary\" width=\"240\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-diary-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-diary-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-diary-564x705.jpg 564w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-diary.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/a>Beck invited Ramirez to stick around and participate. \u201cI\u2019m not a veteran,\u201d she said. \u201cbut my dad was in WWII.\u201d He assured her the group was open to all, and she decided to give it a go. She has found the group to be congenial and varied.<br \/>\nRamirez has found herself writing about her family and children, and about one of her best friends of 40 years who recently died, something still so painful she has struggled with even admitting it happened. \u201cAnybody can come and write with this group,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve all had stress and trauma in our lives, and writing is so good for getting some of those feelings out.\u201d<br \/>\n\u201cOur group is small,\u201d says Beck, \u201caveraging around five to six writers on any given week, and part of our focus is on getting the word out to other veterans in the area, both on and off campus, that this group exists.\u201d<br \/>\nThe group is casual and friendly, and it\u2019s obvious they are comfortable with each other. Even though Beck is clearly the youngest, except for an undergraduate, he is comfortable taking the lead, and they are comfortable responding to him.<br \/>\nAbout half the group are veterans, the other half have been close to someone who served. It\u2019s a mix of faculty and staff, grad students and undergrads, lecturers and professors.<br \/>\nA graduate of the Air Force Academy and currently a Clemson graduate student, Carol Gering first joined the group to network and meet people. \u201cI do not consider myself a writer,\u201d she says. Not one to journal or write poetry, she was initially uncomfortable and found herself writing as if someone were going to read what she had written. \u201cWhen I confessed that to the group,\u201d she says, \u201cthey earned my trust and encouraged me to write from the heart.\u201d<br \/>\n[pullquote]Gering, who retired as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years as a pilot, flying combat and combat support missions in Iraq, says the writing has helped her to \u201cprocess and think about things in a productive and helpful way\u201d and gain a better understanding of how and why she feels the way she does.\u00a0[\/pullquote]\u201cSometimes I view the weekly sessions as \u2018forced journaling,\u2019\u201d she says, \u201cnot in a negative way \u2014 more like being on a good diet, sometimes not so fun, but in the end, good for you.\u201d<br \/>\nBut it\u2019s not just the writing she enjoys, it\u2019s also the shared experience with a group she describes as \u201cdiverse in thinking and experience.\u201d \u201cI look forward to reading and hearing what the other members have to say. It is nice to have encouragement and constructive feedback in a new realm.\u201d<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Veterans-Writing-Group_039.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-14593 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Veterans-Writing-Group_039-263x300.jpg\" alt=\"Brennan-Veteran's Writing Group1\" width=\"263\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Veterans-Writing-Group_039-263x300.jpg 263w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Veterans-Writing-Group_039-768x875.jpg 768w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Veterans-Writing-Group_039-619x705.jpg 619w, https:\/\/clemsonworld.wpenginepowered.com\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Veterans-Writing-Group_039.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 263px) 100vw, 263px\" \/><\/a>Carlie Kerechanin, an undergraduate performing arts major with no military connections, saw the flyer about the group and contacted Beck, who encouraged her to give it a shot. She wasn\u2019t sure she would stick with it, but says she got \u201csucked in pretty quickly\u201d by a very welcoming group that encourages her to write.<br \/>\n\u201cThe organization really isn\u2019t a group of veterans writing about the war like I initially assumed it would be,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a group of insanely diverse people writing about all kinds of things under the influence of their individual lives, some of which have been shaped by years in the service. Once you get to know everyone and hear their perspective on different topics or assignments, you really can\u2019t leave \u2014 you owe them your side of the story.\u201d<br \/>\nAfter retired professor and Cold War veteran Skip Eisminger learned about Beck\u2019s ideas for the group over lunch last year, he couldn\u2019t refuse. \u201cIn fact,\u201d he says, \u201cit\u2019s become the highlight of my week.\u201d He brought his 14-year-old grandson to a meeting who said it was the highlight of his week, too.<br \/>\n\u201cI thought if I could do anything to help these vets be reabsorbed in the culture they left to defend, I wanted to do it. As a retired English teacher, I had the time,\u201d says Eisminger.<br \/>\nBeck deliberately structured the group to be open to all, regardless of veteran status.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAfter 14 years of our country being at war,\u201d says Beck, \u201ceveryone is affected by it in some way. Everyone has served or knows someone who has served. One could argue that, to various degrees, we are all \u2018veterans.\u2019 We all have stories to tell, from the battle-hardened veteran to the incoming freshman who\u2019s embarking on her own mysterious journey for the first time \u2014 we all have stories.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Plus, he thinks while it\u2019s good for veterans to connect with each other, it\u2019s also good for them to connect with other students and faculty, to realize that we are all connected in more ways than just the military.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cCamaraderie,\u201d he says, \u201cshouldn\u2019t be exclusive to the military.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><em>If you&#8217;d like more information about the Veterans Writing Group at Clemson or would like to attend, contact Beck at bjbeck@clemson.edu.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-19  el_after_av_three_fifth  el_before_av_one_third  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_third  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-20  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_third  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Beck shares shares the story of a patrol in Iraq in which his best friend and roommate Ross McGinnis displayed heroism that is hard to even imagine:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_third  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-22  el_after_av_one_third  el_before_av_one_third  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p style=\"text-align: center\">\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_third  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-24  el_after_av_one_third  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><p>When Brennan Beck returned from\u00a0two tours in Iraq, he was struggling. Then he was introduced to a Veterans Writing Group that made all the difference. Listen to him tell the story:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-26  el_after_av_one_third  el_before_av_three_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_three_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-27  el_after_av_one_fifth  el_before_av_one_fifth  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><div   class='av_promobox  avia-button-yes   avia-builder-el-28  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '>\t\t<div class='avia-promocontent'><p>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Airman1stCls-Sergovia.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-featured wp-image-14597\" src=\"https:\/\/clemson.world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Brennan-Beck-Airman1stCls-Sergovia-800x430.jpg\" alt=\"Airman 1st Class Claudia Segovia boards a Boeing 737 en route to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Airman Segovia is assigned to the 492nd Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. (U.S. Air Force photo\/Airman 1st Class Eboni Knox)\" width=\"800\" height=\"430\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Helping Female Veterans find a &#8220;New Normal&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>All too often, the battle continues when a service member returns home. Between physical injuries and \u201cinvisible\u201d wounds such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, injured service members face barriers that can make reintegrating into civilian life challenging, says Clemson recreational therapy faculty member Brent Hawkins.<\/p>\n<\/div><div  class='avia-button-wrap avia-button-right ' ><a href='http:\/\/wp.me\/p63Bn8-3OY'  class='avia-button   avia-icon_select-no avia-color-theme-color avia-size-large avia-position-right '   ><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Read more<\/span><\/a><\/div>\t<\/div><\/div><br \/>\n<div class=\"flex_column av_one_fifth  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding   avia-builder-el-29  el_after_av_three_fifth  avia-builder-el-last  column-top-margin\" style='border-radius:0px; '><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14601,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[434,812,1612,2335,2459,2919,3117,3299,3301],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-14654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-brennan-beck","tag-congressional-medal-of-honor","tag-iraq","tag-purple-heart","tag-ross-mcginnis","tag-task-force-1-26","tag-u-s-army","tag-winter-2016","tag-winter-2016-features"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2015\/12\/FEAT-Brennan-Beck.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14654","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14654"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14654\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14654"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/clemson.world\/archive\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=14654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}