For many veterans who return home from battlefields, they often find themselves in another battle - a battle with their own mental health.
Interpretation
Veterans face challenges beyond the battlefield, particularly in managing their mental health after returning home.
This quote highlights the struggles that many veterans encounter when they return from military service. While they may have survived the physical dangers of war, the internal conflict with mental health issues such as PTSD often becomes a significant challenge that they must confront in civilian life, representing a different but equally profound battle.
In practice
During a veterans' support group meeting, this quote might resonate with members discussing their experiences.
As a career Army bomb technician, I have seen real heroism in the Ranger warfighters I stalked Afghanistan with each night and in the injured combatants whom I healed alongside in Walter Reed Army Medical Center after losing the two legs God gave me.
I became a bomb technician because I wanted to save lives. I nearly gave my own life for that - I lost both my legs and a finger when a roadside bomb detonated beneath me - and have known more heroes than I can count who died defending others.
When I see an actual flesh-and-blood worker in conflict with his natural enemy, the policeman, I do not have to ask myself which side I am on.
Many may look at me and see mostly what I have lost. I struggle to speak, my eyesight's not great, my right arm and leg are paralyzed, and I left a job I loved representing southern Arizona in Congress.
To live without risk is to risk not living.
Very often as a little girl, then as a young woman, I have suffered my lot of discrimination. I was brought up with brothers; I grew up in a boys' world. You have to elbow your way in. When you come with that sentiment of having been in a minority for a long period of time, then you are much more attentive to minorities.
If you cannot convince a Fascist, acquaint his head with the pavement.
The first action to be taken is to pull ourselves together. If we are going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb, when it comes, find us doing sensible and human things -- praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts -- not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs.
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