From War to Home: Through the Veteran's Lens
From War to Home: Through the Veteran's Lens explores the realities of military service through words and images from veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom were given cameras and asked to tell their stories of military service, deployment, and homecoming. They took pictures of their daily lives, gathered photos from their personal collections, and described the meaning behind each image.
The images of From War to Home bear witness to the health impacts of military service and deployment during a time of war, and reveal the personal views of the men and women behind the lens.
The exhibit From War to Home grew out of a year-long collaboration between researchers at the Philadelphia VA and Veterans who deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). With funding from the Department of Veterans Affairs, we employed a method called Photovoice to help OEF/OIF Veterans tell their stories of military service, deployment, and homecoming.
From War to Home has traveled the country since 2012 and been installed at VA Medical Centers, schools of Nursing and Medicine, national academic conferences, and college campuses. The exhibit is intended to stimulate dialogue and build bridges between veterans and those who wish to welcome them home. Veterans of all service eras often recognize their own experiences and perspectives in the exhibit photo-narratives, while non-veterans gain a deeper understanding of the personal and collective costs of war. The exhibit is available for installation at your organization or institution.
The project director, Gala True, and veteran contributors to From War to Home have given presentations to VA and non-VA audiences on topics ranging from Military Cultural Competency, to Understanding and Addressing Barriers to Engagement in Care for OEF/OIF Veterans, to Ethics and Practice of Community-Engaged Research with Veterans. We are available to present at your organization or event upon request.
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