Political science major Jason Alves carried a digital camera and a hard drive with him throughout his three years of service on the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka, Japan, eventually collecting 80 gigabytes of pictures taken of his experiences. His photographs are part of a collection of art based on the experiences of military veterans, whose expressions depict the gritty realities of a military lifestyle.
The Veterans and Family Student Association is hosting an art show titled “Healing from Memories, Healing by Sharing,” in the EMU Concourse all week featuring poems, photographs and a sculpture.
“I didn’t know necessarily what to do with my pictures and I figured this was a good way to share them,” Alves said.
The six military veteran artists represent the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. These soldiers fought in Iraq and Vietnam, along with various international tours of duty to places such as Italy and Japan.
The exhibit shows how veterans have memories they hold close to their hearts that they cannot clearly share with others, Alves said. The show is set up in a way that allows each grouping of pictures to tell the story of each individual soldier.
Kollin Taylor, a woman who served in the U.S. Army, contributed pictures of women serving in the field. Shane Addis, a Marine, displayed pictures from his time spent in Iraq. His photos depict swirling dust storms, road trips through the desert and time spent relaxing on a military base.
Alves, the director of the VFSA and a U.S. Navy veteran, said there is a larger purpose to the show than simply sharing the stories of veterans. “The purpose of the art show is to raise awareness to the fact that there are veterans on campus. Most people don’t think of veterans as being college students,” he said.
The University has about 300 student veterans, but the VFSA aims to raise that number. Just after the Vietnam War, the number was higher than 1,500, a number for which the VFSA is aiming.
Nate Schneider, a senior whose friend recently returned from Iraq, stopped to look at the photographs. “This definitely feels very personal,” Schneider said. “People don’t really know that war is out there, but this shows that it is.”
As awareness of student veterans grows on campus, the attentiveness to veterans in the Eugene area is growing with it. The VFSA plans to raise money through the art show to assist homeless and disabled veterans in the Eugene area. The proceeds from the photographs, which go on sale Friday, go directly toward helping veterans’ transportation through bus passes and train tickets.
On a broader scale, the VFSA aims to assist student veterans as they adjust to college life. “A large goal of the VFSA is to raise awareness of the veterans’ issues and the struggles we face day-to-day,” said Joe Hadley, a 10-year U.S. Army veteran. Traumas from war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are just some of these struggles the group aims to make known throughout campus.
The VFSA was established three years ago by a few members of the ROTC as a support system for veterans returning to school. With an increasing number of student veterans, the VFSA is working on a mentorship program that puts an older member of the group with an incoming student veteran. Older members can assist new members with choosing classes and readjusting, while still helping them with issues carried over from their time in military service. Hadley, whose grandfather was stationed at Pearl Harbor when it was bombed, said, “Veterans need other veterans. We still need that camaraderie.”
On Saturday, the group will host a semi-formal Memorial Ball. Alves said it is a chance for veterans to relax and have fun, while also providing the group opportunity to raise money for its cause.
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