The American flag symbolizes hope and pride for many, especially those who served or are currently serving under it.
Tracy Moran
U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Joe Pisano
Through the Veterans Stand Across America project, U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, Joe Pisano, took this iconic flag and created a 3D art piece representation, hoping to unify, celebrate and raise awareness for veterans and their sacrifices, all across the nation.
Joining in on the project, various states have implemented their own versions of the artwork. In Ohio there are two Dublin organizations, Dublin A.M. Rotary and Resurrecting Lives Foundation, that have led the effort with their copy of Pisano’s flag.
What is Resurrecting Lives?
Resurrecting Lives was founded more than 10 years ago in Dublin to bring awareness and support for the disproportionate number of veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and to prevent veteran deaths by suicide.
Veterans often return home with invisible wounds including damages sustained from blows to the head during combat. These injuries can have devastating consequences on these individuals and many of those affected struggle with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in addition to a TBI.
Symptoms of these conditions look different for each person but the underlying feeling of emotional and physical discomfort is widespread. Those who suffer from TBIs and PTSD are at a greater risk of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
“Oftentimes they just don’t feel like themselves and they don’t know why, and so ‘How do I address that?’ I either strike out or I look for some other form of medication, whether it’s drugs or alcohol, to try to make me feel, or at least ignore the feelings that I have,” says Skylar Burgess, a Dublin resident, U.S. Air Force veteran and vice chair of the board of Resurrecting Lives Foundation.
Seeing fellow veterans and friends take their own lives, Burgess knows that these injuries aren’t always easy to see or discuss, but are crucial to address.
“People that you would meet and think that that’s the furthest thing from their mind, and then when it happens, it’s like, ‘How did that happen? How did we miss it? What signs were there that we didn’t pick up on that might have made a difference?’ Those kinds of experiences, and while it didn’t happen often, it’s happened, and losing one is one too many.”
Project and future impacts
The piece commissioned by the Rotary and Foundation is framed by a white background where Ohio’s veterans are encouraged to sign their names.
“The art project is just a very tangible thing to see and feel the emotion of the art that Joe has put together and shared across the country,” says Dublin A.M. Rotary Secretary Claudia Trusty. “It is part bringing veterans in and part creating awareness, part helping families realize the pressures that veterans are going through and part fundraiser.”
The Ohio piece was unveiled a year ago at the National Veterans Memorial Museum and continues to circulate throughout the state, stopping at various regional Rotary chapters where it is displayed at meetings and local events. It has made local appearances at events including the Dublin Irish Festival, Memorial Tournament weekend and a Columbus Clippers game.
“The purpose of our flag and taking it out to different communities is to be able to reach those veterans and say, ‘Here we are. Let us help you. Let us make you aware of opportunities, or situations, or programs that may be available with the situation you’ve encountered as a result of your service,” says Dave Williamson, U.S. Air Force veteran and chairman of Dublin A.M. Rotary’s Veterans Affairs Committee. “It’s also a plea to the communities to help support people within their communities that may have incurred situations that they’re not aware of.” While Resurrecting Lives stresses the impact of TBIs and how we can support those with in our communities, it also works with veterans acclimating back into society after military service, connecting them to resources regarding employment, education, healthcare and more.
ROBERTA KAYNE
One factor that Burgess has found to be important to helping veterans retain employment and more importantly, a positive state of mental health, is frequent connection with other veterans, something he was able to advocate for during his time working at Deloitte Veterans recruitment.
“We did a study because we were hiring a bunch of veterans but we were losing them at three times the rate we were losing our nonveteran (employees) and what we found out is that veterans coming off of active duty, moving into the civilian workforce, just don’t have that same connection that they had in the military and so, at Deloitte, we developed a mentorship program, so they had a buddy that they could rely on and count on,” he says. “Our retention rate went up 200 percent, and so we look at those things as veterans coming together.”
Resurrecting Lives has also made an effort to promote awareness and education surrounding the quality of health and life for veterans, working with Congress to pass legislation and creating a film detailing traumatic brain injuries titled Brainstorms. All these efforts are made to cultivate a greater sense of pride and support for our nation’s veterans.
“I have a little plaque on my desk that says our flag does not fly because the wind moves it,” Williamson says. “It flies with the last breath of a soldier who died protecting it, and that’s how it all comes to the bottom line. It’s freedom under the flag that we have that we want to preserve and that’s what veterans have represented year after year. It’s because of the actions of a few that many are able to enjoy a lot more.”
Did You Know?
Ohio has the 4th largest number of veteran residents in the nation. The state with the largest number of veterans is California, followed by Texas and Florida.
“We’re a third of the size of Texas population-wise so we have a disproportionate number of veterans relative to the population compared to some other states,” says Skylar Burgess, Dublin resident, U.S. Air Force veteran and vice chair of the board of Resurrecting Lives Foundation.
Maisie Fitzmaurice is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at mfitzmaurice@cityscenemediagroup.com.
