It can be hard for military veterans to readjust back into their community after deploying or serving in the military. Vet Star, a local advocacy organization for veterans decided to organize mission “Zero Dark Thirty” in order for them to start healing.
Much like a combat mission, this group of veterans has been preparing for weeks. They’ve rented busses, planned their route and headed out on the eleven hour drive to Fairmont, Nebraska.
“Then we went from there, got into Kansas. Oh golly,” said Vietnam war veteran, Jimbo Robinson. “That was about 3 or 4 o’clock. Then we finally went in here to Nebraska,” he said.
Many might be asking why they decided to make this long trek to only stay for a few hours before they made their way back to Lubbock.
“It was a cool experience, I’m really glad I got to come and go,” Robinson said.
But they weren’t alone in their journey. Thousands of strangers made the same trip all traveling to the path of totality for the solar eclipse. This group of veteran’s reason for watching the eclipse was different though. The military veterans used it as an example of surviving post traumatic stress after returning home.
“We’re going to get out of that until we see the light again,” said the director of Vet Star, Colonel Dave Lewis. “Think about that symbolically to our lives and the challenges we face when we find suddenly ourselves in that position of darkness,” he said.
Orlando Luna, a young military veteran, said he’s seen friends suffer from post tramutic stress.
“I’ve lost friends to suicide and stuff like that. Everyone suffers,” said Luna.
He was excited to be a part of this trip and help other veterans with their healing. This group recliamed the darkness by watching one of the most powerful visual metaphors the Earth could provide.
“Light is on the other side, it’s going to come,” said Luna. “You have to get through the darkness. You have to get through it.”
Most soliders don’t like to talk about their challenges but it’s easier with someone who understands. Luna said it’s easier though to talk about it with other veterans who understand.
“They’ll have a hard time because they’re looking for that comradery, that brotherhood. When you leave that experience, you just miss it,” Luna said.
In the ends, more than 30 hours of traveling to watch a two-minute solar eclipse. All to learn the lesson that the light eventually turns back on.
“The metaphor I take is that darkness will come at some point in your life,” said Luna. “It’s inevitable. But just know that there is light waiting at the other end of the darkness, it’s waiting for you. You have to pick up and drive on,” he said.
Some of the veterans are already planning their trip for the next total eclipse in 2024.
