Soldiers display military experiences at art gallery

By Tim Cherry, Belvoir EagleFebruary 22, 2013

Soldier Art
The small squares between the boots are cut up uniforms that will be turned into paper. Veterans use their uniforms worn in service to create works of art. The uniforms are cut up, beaten into a pulp by a mechanical emulsifier and formed into sheets ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Servicemembers turned their wartime uniforms into works of art as part of their therapy to rehabilitate from substance abuse, physical wounds and mental injuries.

The art expressed the military experiences of veterans, who also used the spoken word to discuss their thoughts and emotions with civilian guests at the Workhouse Art Center in Lorton, Va., Feb. 15.

The art show completed a five-day workshop for the 30 wounded servicemembers who participated.

"This helped bring closure," said Marine Corps Cpl. Joe Merritt, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Basic School combat instructor.

Servicemembers from each branch of the armed forces participated in the workshop in collaboration with Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical Command Arts Program, Combat Paper NJ and the Warrior Writer Project.

The artists are employees and patients at Fort Belvoir Community Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The servicemembers are currently receiving treatment to help recover from drug addiction, post traumatic stress disorder and physical wounds.

Combat Paper NJ, a veteran-led program that uses art as a healing tool, led the wartime uniform project portion of the workshop. The veterans cut their uniforms into small pieces and turned the remaining material into paper. The servicemembers then painted, sketched and wrote their experiences onto the paper.

Merritt's uniform sat in his closet for four years after his deployment. He was filled with mixed emotions every time saw the camouflage.

Merritt turned his uniform into three paintings with writing, weaponry and a vehicle all representing aspects of his career.

"The enemy didn't have a choice and neither did my command," Merritt said. "It was my choice to use my uniform to tell my story."

Other veterans included pictures of children, Superman capes and written words on their uniforms.

"This paper becomes a platform for veterans to share their experiences and tell those stories they can't share verbally," said Marine Corps veteran David Keefe, Combat Paper NJ director. "That's our mission, to communicate our experiences, by making paper, by making art."

The Warrior Writer Project, another veteran-focused arts organization, added another layer to the workshop and art gallery. During the workshop, veterans responded to writing prompts and developed short stories touching on their first days in the military, other military related experiences, and reflecting on their times in combat zones.

Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Labarile, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Medical Board legal clerk, called the entire workshop calming.

"It had a big impact on me," Labarile said. "It was an all around good experience that I'll continue doing in the future."

Throughout the workshop, the veterans shared their stories and problems with each other. The process developed a stronger sense of community among the servicemembers, which will help them in their recovery process, according to Eileen McKee, Fort Belvoir Community Hospital art therapist.

"Addiction is an isolated disease and the best way to recover is through community," McKee said. "They have a Family in the military and this is a way to go deeper and talk about issues in a productive way that produces a visible, tangible product that allows them to take back control of their issues."

This is the first of four workshops the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical Command will host, according to Seema Reza, Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical Command Arts Program manager. The unit will host one more workshop at Fort Belvoir and two more events at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The first workshop was very successful and beneficial for the veterans, according to Reza.

"A lot of them didn't consider themselves to be artists and writers when we started," Reza said. "Now, they look forward to continuing on with this and using art to heal instead of reaching for a drink or drug."

Contact Reza at seema.reza.ctr@health.mil for more information on the Joint Task Force National Capital Region Medical Command Arts Program.

For more information on Combat Paper NJ visit /www.printnj.org/combat-paper/.

For more information on Warrior Writers visit www.warriorwriters.org/about.html.