The PTSD Walk Has Hit a Snag and Needs Your Help

Dan Stepel, the 47-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who was determined to walk the 12,000 miles, has finally bowed to the inevitable.

A bug bite in Ghana when he was there on business led to surgery that left one leg less than whole. And while Dan truly thought he could walk those miles each day with this bad leg, he has had to admit defeat for his own plans.

But he is not admitting defeat with this planned walk.

The response on the walk’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk) has demonstrated how important it is to get the media exposure that such a walk would bring to the PTSD suffering of active-duty military personnel and veterans.

THE MISSION NOW:

How to have the walk without Dan doing the walking.

There are a few veterans who suffer from PTSD who could each, perhaps, walk for a week. Under this plan these veterans would need to meet up on the walk itinerary with the previous walker and take over for a week.

In other words, a relay walk, which could be quite powerful from a media exposure perspective.

Would you or anyone you know possibly be interested in participating in a relay walk?

Do you have other ideas of how this project might go forward?

Leave comments here or email Dan at danstepel@gmail.com

As Dan learned in the Marines, Semper Fi!
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and her social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing works with clients to use social media to attract more business. Read her social media marketing blog.

The Vital Question of the Public’s Perception of Combat-Related PTSD

During the last few days I’ve been cced on a series of emails between Dan Stepel, the 47-year-old U.S. Marine veteran who will be undertaking the 12,000 mile PTSD Walk Across America, and someone who has designed a clothing item that features a humorous slogan about PTSD.

We’ll call the person George, and I won’t mention the slogan except to say that in Dan’s perception (and mine, I admit) the joke slogan denigrates the seriousness of PTSD.

Dan emailed George explaining why this particular humorous slogan could be detrimental to the public perception of PTSD, and George responded by saying veterans to whom he has shown the clothing item think the slogan funny.

Here’s what I then wrote to George with a cc to Dan:

I believe the two of you are speaking about apples and oranges.

This belief is based on the last two years in which I have interviewed people on BlogTalkRadio and written numerous blog posts about PTSD and the horrible statistics related to it, including terrible wife abuse, high numbers of suicide, withdrawal from loved ones, etc.

(Do a search for PTSD on my site www.mrslieutenant.blogspot.com)

Here are the apples and oranges:

The apples are veterans that you [George] come in contact with who, I suspect, either do not personally know the terrible ravages of PTSD or who, luckily, have been able to get adequate treatment for it. These are veterans who can indeed laugh at the sentiment on your [clothing item].

The oranges are the active-duty military personnel and their families plus the veterans and their families who are currently living with the terribleness of PTSD either because they can't or don't get treatment or because the treatment they are getting is not effective.

I believe that, if you took a survey among all the PTSD-support organizations that I have come across in the last two years, you would find that most people would agree with Dan's sentiment for one very simple reason:

Every time a joke is made of PTSD -- thus possibly convincing a military person that he/she should be able to take care of the devastating symptoms himself/herself (the macho factor plus fear of military career reprisal) -- the joke may be consigning a military personnel to killing himself/herself or irreparably harming his/her spouse, children or other loved ones.

I strong urge you to read some of my blog posts before you so lightly dismiss what Dan wrote you. I am convinced that, after reading these blog posts, you will consider seriously the ramifications of making light about the brutal reality of PTSD.

Unfortunately, what veterans at the VA can laugh about does not extend to people grappling day-to-day with the terrible turmoil of PTSD. And when those veterans who can laugh wear your proposed [clothing item] out into the rest of the world, the stage is set for some truly terrible consequences.

Why not, instead, come up with a saying on the [clothing item] that could encourage people to get the help that they so desperately need?

How about:

PTSD

Got treatment?

[This was the end of my email response. If you have an opinion on this subject, please share it in the comments below. And for information on the symptoms of PTSD, see www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com]
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

This Memorial Day We Should Also Remember Our Current Military Wounded

I remember in junior high, as part of the percussion section of the Larsen Junior High marching band, arriving at the cemetery in Elgin, Illinois, at the conclusion of the Memorial Day parade. In those long-ago days I knew that my father and the rest of his generation had served in World War II.

By the time I got to Michigan State University the protests against the Vietnam War were in full bloom almost everywhere except at MSU, a college that firmly supported its ROTC program. And what did I do? I fell in love with one of those ROTC cadets and married him immediately after accelerating my college graduation date.

In those ironies of life, in May of 1970 I drove with my husband to Ft. Knox, Kentucky, for him to report to Armor Officers Basic the same week that the Ohio National Guard shot and killed four college students protesting against President Nixon’s incursion into Cambodia.

Thirty-eight years later I self-published the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT based on my first nine weeks as a new Mrs. Lieutenant. And the publication of that novel launched me into co-founding the social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing as well as becoming involved online with numerous military-support projects.

Through one of my activities Dan Stepel, a U.S. Marine veteran, found me. And what developed was my commitment to help promote his compelling project – the PTSD Walk Across America. Dan is going to walk 12,000 miles through all 50 states to raise awareness of and funds for the active-duty military personnel and the veterans who need help with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is sometimes called “the silent wound” or “the invisible wound.”

Now those of you who read the “Mrs. Lieutenant” blog regularly know that I often write about PTSD. And for anyone who wants to know more about the symptoms of PTSD – see the info on my site www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com

Today, though, in honor of our military men and women past and present, I want to share with you a guest post from Dan about the Memorial Day in 1980 he spent in Marine boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina.

And this Memorial Day please visit the Facebook page of the PTSD Walk Across America at www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk and show your support by clicking on the page’s “like” button. You can also follow news of the walk on Twitter at @PTSDWalk.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

Memorial Day 1980 – Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island

Here’s another guest post from U.S. Marine veteran Dan Stepel:

It was Memorial Day 1980. I was a little more than half way through boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. We were just about to hit the rack for a welcomed night’s sleep when the senior drill instructor came busting into the squad bay.

This was never a sign that anything enjoyable was about to happen, and we all stood a bit on guard and hoped that it was not me who had once again screwed the pooch.

Our senior DI fit every image you would ever have of the gravelly voice-in-your-face recruit’s nightmare. He was in his late 30’s and had done two tours of duty in Vietnam. Now he was in the middle of the room standing there holding a bag.

He spoke a few words about Memorial Day and how Jody [the civilian at home] had a real nice time taking our place at the family cookout and was fulfilling our wife’s or girlfriend’s needs in our absence. Then the tone of his voice changed.

“However these heart-warming Kodak memories are not free. Our freedom comes at a price.”

He reached into the bag and withdrew a grimy old military shirt that looked like it had not been washed in 10 years. The shirt was stained with dried blood from the front, over the shoulder, and on the back. It was pretty clear that this shirt was worn by someone carrying a wounded Marine off the battlefield.

He held the shirt up. “This is American blood. This is the price of freedom.” He paused for a brief second as if he were recalling something painful. He folded the shirt back into the bag and walked to the door ...

And now 30 years later on September 11, 2010, I'm planning to start walking 12,000 miles through 50 states for PTSD Walk Across America to raise awareness of and funds for active-duty military personnel and veterans suffering from PTSD.

Keep up-to-date with my project at the walk's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest military-related project is supporting the upcoming PTSD Walk Across America.Phyllis' social media marketing company Miller Mosaic Power Marketing combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands. Read her social media marketing blog.

U.S. Marine Veteran Dan Stepel Answers Why He Will Walk 12,000 Miles to Spotlight PTSD

Here is a guest post from U.S. Marine veteran Dan Stepel:

PTSD Walk Across America -- You Are Not Alone: A 12,000-mile journey covering all 50 states to increase awareness of and raise funds for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) help for active-duty military personnel and veterans.

Mission of the Walk:

• To let those active-duty military personnel and veterans dealing with PTSD know that they are not alone and that assistance is available to help them to deal with the day-to-day issues that are associated with the invisible wound.

• To raise awareness among the general population of the growing problem of PTSD with the recently returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

• To reduce the stigma attached to the invisible wound.

• To raise money to fund programs that will best fit the special needs of active-duty military personnel and veterans with PTSD.

My name is Dan Stepel. I am a 47-year-old U.S. Marine veteran. On September 11, 2010, I will start a walk of 12,000 miles covering all 50 states to raise awareness of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) -- sometimes called the “invisible wound.”

When I first started to formulate this idea I was asked by friends WHY? Why would you put your life on hold for two years? You have a business and a wife. Why do this?

The answer came to me in a moment of perfect clarity:

Because this is what we veterans do!

Post–Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not new. My great-great-great-grandfather Henry Odom fought at Gettysburg among many other Civil War battles. Several years after the war he applied for a pension and was granted the sum of $108 a year due to his “ongoing nervous condition.”

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan collectively have been going on now for almost nine years. That is longer than the U.S. involvement in both world wars combined. What will be the long-term effect of this prolonged exposure to combat?

On the morning of April 18, 2010, Jesse Charles Huff walked up to the Veterans Affairs Department’s Medical Center wearing U.S. Army fatigues and battling pain from his Iraq war wounds and a recent bout with depression. This was not Jesse’s first visit to the VA. He had been to this very hospital several times before but was sent home with only strong pain killers. This time he was determined to get some relief. Jesse put a military-style rifle to his head and pulled the trigger. He fell dead near the foot of a Civil War statue, his blood covering portions of the front steps. Jesse Charles Huff was 27 years old.

Each day 18 veterans commit suicide. That is an average of 126 veterans per week -- 6,552 veterans per year -- who are not getting the help they need. The sad part is that if something is not done these numbers will be going up.

The Idea for the Walk:

A 12,000 mile walk across the United States making at least one stop in all 50 states.

To go where I will do the most good and generate the most attention. To let those who are suffering from PTSD know that they are not alone and that help is out there.

Funds raised during this two-year event will go to training and providing more PTSD counsellors to meet the ever-rising demand and for other PTSD-related services.

Along with the walk there is to be a well-planned and well-coordinated public relations campaign. This will ensure that people will know I am coming well in advance of my arrival.

The walk’s Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk and the Twitter account is http://twitter.com/PTSDWalk.

The Campaign:

I am calling the walk a “campaign” because I have modelled it after a presidential campaign.

We will enlist supporters throughout the country to handle their own local areas. They will be tasked to spread the word and to do the advance work to ensure that we get the most out of the local activities. For example, if there is to be a county fair in Johnson County at the time I’ll be walking through there, I will make sure I am at the fair.

I envision that most of these supporters will come from the local VFWs. There is really a tremendous amount of things that can be put together by people with expert local knowledge.

Sponsorships:

Rather than just solicit donations from companies we have taken another approach. We have created a value-added proposition that will both maximize the benefits sponsors receive by attaching their company brand to this current and most noble of causes while at the same time allowing the sponsor the flexibility of reaching a national audience as well as specifically targeted regions and areas of development.

We will also add a sponsor’s brand to our full-out social media campaign, for which you will have your own dedicated page on the walk’s website. We anticipate this to be a very high traffic site as interest in the walk grows.

From your own sponsorship page there will be opportunities to offer coupons and to announce special promotional events that will coincide with my arrival at your venue. These arrivals will be met with local media and a great deal of local interest.

Value-Added Social Media Marketing Component for PTSD Walk Across America:

In order to facilitate the largest possible media exposure for this project, PTSD awareness, and the sponsors of the project, there will be a social media marketing component during the entire period of the walk:

All sponsorship levels (silver, gold and platinum) along with project fund recipients will receive:

• An entire page on the project website (this page can include special offers)
• Written and video material on utilizing social media to promote the project and the sponsor’s role
• Twice-monthly group one-hour webinars to learn about and implement social media marketing for the project
• Password-protected website forum to share social media marketing plans and strategies in support of this project

Gold-level and platinum-level sponsors will also receive:

• A monthly group one-hour webinar for advanced social media strategies focusing on sponsor’s products and services in conjunction with this project
Platinum-level sponsors will also receive:
• An individual monthly one-hour coaching session to develop value-added social media marketing strategies for the sponsor

Email Dan at dstepel@ngenter.com if you are interested in being a sponsor of the project. And be sure to join the Facebook PTSD Walk page at www.facebook.com/PTSDWalk

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her project www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com offers information on recognizing PTSD symptoms. Phyllis' company MillerMosaicLLC.com does power marketing that combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands.

Announcing PTSD Walk Across America to Help Active-Duty Military Personnel and Veterans

Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I've often written about PTSD and how important it is to get help for people suffering from the symptoms.

Now Dan Stepel, a U.S. Marine veteran, is planning to walk 12,000 miles across all 50 states to raise awareness of and funds for helping active-duty military personnel and veterans with PTSD.

Here's what you can do to help right now:

1. If you are on Twitter, follow the walk at http://twitter.com/PTSDWalk and encourage your own followers on Twitter to follow @PTSDWalk (add #sot and #military to your tweets).

2. "Like" the PTSD Walk Facebook page -- it's currently at http://budurl.com/PTSDWalk -- and once there are 25 people who "like" the page we will be able to get a customized Facebook page URL. And you can click on the "share" button on the left-hand side of the page and send it through your Facebook profile with a request for other people to "like" the page. (FYI -- "Like a page" has replaced "fan a page" on Facebook.)

3. Think of who you know -- large corporations, small companies, sole proprietors -- who might like to be a sponsor of the walk. (This is separate from individual donations we'll be collecting.) These are sponsors who want to take advantage of publicity for what is envisioned as a year-long project.

(Dan will be stopping for events in various places. We hope he'll be in DC for a Veterans Day event.)

4. Think of other ways you can help. Do you manufacture walking shoes? Dan is going to need lots of those. Sunscreen? Nutrition bars?

You can contact Dan at danstepel@gmail.com with any ideas or you can contact possible sponsors yourself and ask them to contact Dan.

I'll be keeping you posted here as plans develop further. And, for the possible sake of someone you love, read about the symptoms of PTSD at www.insupportofourtroops.com/ptsd-info/
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest project is www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com.Phyllis' company MillerMosaicLLC.com does power marketing that combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands.

Recent Vet Describes the Crime He Committed That He Can't Remember -- Now He Knows He Was Suffering From PTSD

Iraq veteran Nic Gray talks to Westword about the night he can't remember. from Manmade Media on Vimeo.

Thanks to Dan Stepel (@lastbabyboomer on Twitter) for sharing this video with me of his business partner Nic Gray. Dan and Nic have a company to help veterans transition to being entrepreneurs in civilian life.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of the novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. Her newest project is www.FilmsThatSupportOurTroops.com.

Phyllis' company MillerMosaicLLC.com does power marketing that combines traditional marketing principles and Internet marketing strategies to put power in your hands.