A veteran’s association is currently being established by faculty and students to aid and minister to those returning from the military.
Shawn Fisher, assistant professor of history and social sciences, said the Harding University Veteran’s Association (HUVA) is picking up where similar organizations have left off in the past. The association was founded last fall and organized this spring. Officer elections will take place in a few weeks.
David Collins, executive vice president, approached Fisher last fall about starting a new veteran’s association. Fisher said he is pleased with the support the school shows to veterans.
“We’re all about ministering to Harding’s veterans,” Fisher said. “This group allows the school and the students to come together with any issues that our veterans bring forward.”
Fisher said HUVA not only supports veterans, but also supports current servicemen and spouses. HUVA has already held group devotionals, meetings and service projects, all in an effort to bring veterans together and help them find a safe place amidst a group of like-minded individuals, according to Fisher. One of the projects initiated by the group this spring was a postcard drive, in which postcards from students were sent to deployed serviceman.
“About 830 postcards were sent out to soldiers in Afghanistan,” Fisher said. “The soldiers were so happy to receive mail from so many Harding students.”
Junior Paden Timms, a Marine Corps veteran, said HUVA is about helping soldiers transition from the military lifestyle to the college lifestyle.
“It’s a wholly different environment, being in the army versus being in college,” Timms said. “There’s not a lot of decompression time for veterans. So if we can minister to these people, we’ve done our job.”
Current veterans have an incredibly high suicide rate, according to Fisher.
“Groups like this provide good support, and they prevent feelings of isolation,” Timms said. “Students who are not veterans come to college and find their clique of friends. This group helps provide similar feelings to vets.”
Anyone interested in being involved can contact Fisher at sfisher@harding.edu.
