One of the greatest blessing in what I do is coming into contact with people from all over the country and in many other nations. People who work on PTSD do it for one reason and that is to help people who have survived trauma. Some do it because someone they know was wounded so deeply they developed PTSD, as in my case with my husband. Some do it because they survived trauma and felt blessed they did not develop PTSD. Others simply do it out of the goodness of their hearts. Whatever the reason, all of us agree that each part that makes us human has been wounded and needs to be taken care of to heal as well as possible. The mind, body and spirit are all connected. This I know very well and so do groups like Point Man International Ministries.
There is a lot of talk in the news about the soldier who is an atheist being treated badly because he does not believe in God. As a Chaplain it is not our duty to convert anyone or force anyone into anything. We are supposed to be there to help as humans. Oh, sure our faith is the basis for what we do, but Chaplains come in all faiths. More on this later.
For most who offer their spiritual guidance and support, nothing else matters but the need for help, healing, forgiveness and compassion. That is what Point Man has been doing since 1984.
Since 1984, when Seattle Police Officer and Vietnam Veteran Bill Landreth noticed he was arresting the same people each night, he discovered most were Vietnam vets like himself that just never seemed to have quite made it home. He began to meet with them in coffee shops and on a regular basis for fellowship and prayer. Soon, Point Man Ministries was conceived and became a staple of the Seattle area. Bills untimely death soon after put the future of Point Man in jeopardy.
However, Chuck Dean, publisher of a Veterans self help newspaper, Reveille, had a vision for the ministry and developed it into a system of small groups across the USA for the purpose of mutual support and fellowship. These groups are known as Outposts. Worldwide there are hundreds of Outposts and Homefront groups serving the families of veterans.
PMIM is run by veterans from all conflicts, nationalities and backgrounds. Although, the primary focus of Point Man has always been to offer spiritual healing from PTSD, Point Man today is involved in group meetings, publishing, hospital visits, conferences, supplying speakers for churches and veteran groups, welcome home projects and community support. Just about any where there are Vets there is a Point Man presence. All services offered by Point Man are free of charge.
It isn't about who got a parade! When I came home from Vietnam, my cousin, a WWII Vet invited me to a VFW meeting and I was all but ignored because I was not in a "real" war and so how could I have any kind of problem? All these guys stuck to each other like glue and pretty much ignored the "new" Vets. And you all remember how it felt. I see the same "new guys" 35 years later with the same baloney coming out of their mouths. How in the world can you say you support the troops and then ignore them when they get home?
Seems to me that no matter how many are killed, the survivors have an obligation to each other and to our posterity to insure the "new guys" don't go through the same stuff our dads, grandfathers and ourselves had to endure...
So to all you "NEW GUYS", Welcome Home. Thank you for a job well done. Your sacrifice is deeply appreciated here. We support you regardless of when or where you served; we understand what you've been through and what you're dealing with now. Continue through the site and get connected!
Dana Morgan (President of PMIM)http://www.pmim.org/
So this new video is for them and all the work they do. It is what they are about. From WWII and Korea, to Vietnam and the Gulf War and into Afghanistan and Iraq, Point Man is reaching out to help the wounded warrior's spirits heal. If you think you need help, you are pretty much 100% correct. You need all the help you can get right now, not tomorrow and not waiting for the VA to get in gear to be able to take care of all of you. Call Point Man Ministries and begin to heal now instead of waiting.
I posted earlier today how the bulk of the troops and veterans with PTSD are afraid to seek help because it will hurt their careers. This is not the case but the fear is still very real and keeping them from getting help. They are suffering while waiting. Show them the way and tell them to call Point Man Ministries to begin to heal. Speak to other veterans who have been there and done that.
These are some pictures of members of Point Man Ministries I met at the Traveling Wall in Florida for the reunion in Melbourne.
This is the President of Point Man Dana Morgan
And this is my friend Mike Harris
If you are a wounded veteran who wants to know how much you are loved, call them and know what pure love is.
