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Legion Musing

With Robert Simpson

There's no way to explain it.....

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

I had my monthly trip to London for my OSI Clinic (Operational Stress Injury Clinic) appointment with my fiancé. It struck me that for years I have made this trip all alone, but now there is someone who is willing to sit and hear about my private torment, stemming from what happened overseas on my so called Peace Keeping mission. The point I want to make is that too often we Veterans or serving members are alone in our own private world surrounded by family and loved ones who do not understand what is happening to us inside. We are confused since it does not make sense to us and to be honest we are not sure how to tell you.

To us, it seems that our loved ones cannot understand what we have experienced or what we are trying to tell you about it. Which to be honest with you, ( you cannot since you were not there to experience it) smell it, feel it, to wear it and even to taste it. Many times in the past they sent us in to a shooting war zone with unloaded weapons, so then you are forced to use your bare hands to defend yourself and you are looking those people in the eye when you have to take a life. Of course to comfort you good people back here in Canada, they have always called it a Special Duty Area. News flash it was a War Zone! In places like Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, the Congo, the Middle east, Cyprus after the Turk invasion from 1974 until about 1983 they are all highly dangerous places!

The point that I am trying to make to the wives, children, parents etc, we do need you beside us. We know that you do not and cannot understand it all, we were there and we have trouble understanding it. But we need you beside us, because by being a part of this journey back home, you can just a tiny bit begin to know what happened to us. No one comes back from a War, or a so called Peace Keeping mission the same as we left to go to it. With family and loved ones beside us, it will help our healing and our journey home will become so much easier to do. We will never forget what happened over there, but hopefully we will learn to understand it all a little better. So if you have someone who is starting to go to London to the OSI Clinic please be beside them. At first the clinic will focus on that member to get them stabilized, then they will start to bring the family in on the sessions. But first you have to call to be referred to the clinic by Veterans Affairs Canada. Call your local Legion for the service Officer. At Branch 18 in Wallaceburg call 519-627-6663 for the service officer or ask to speak with me.

LEST WE FORGET



Robert Simpson was born in Amherst Nova Scotia. From 1976 to 1980 served in the Canadian armed forces He served in Cyprus 1978/79. He came to Wallaceburg where he worked at North American Plastics. He worked in Toronto as a computer technician. After suffering a heart attack 2002 he retired to Wallaceburg to be closer to his 3 daughters, and all his grandchildren. He is involved with Branch 18 Legion where he is on the executive; he serves as Seniors Chairman. also is currently Youth-Ed Chairman, Liaison with the Sea Cadets and Elevator Committee Chairman for the Legion. Robert is also working at starting up an Operational Stress Injury Peer Support Group in the area for Veterans of all ages.