Vietnam vet shares his story to help others
Serving as a medic in Vietnam with a Marine combat unit in 1968 and 1969 left an indelible imprint on Winfield resident Bob Adams. He met some unforgettable characters in a place known as Con Thien, which, roughly translated, means "Place of Angels."
"We lost a lot of Marines and Corpsmen there at Con Thien," Adams said.
Those experiences inspired him to write a one-man play, "Place of Angels," which will be staged Monday, March 30, at College of DuPage's McAninch Art Center in Glen Ellyn to benefit the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans.
"The play describes my war year," Adams said, "the year in Vietnam, and the aftermath of those experiences.
"But it's really the story of the men I served with."
Adams is co-founder of the shelter's program along with local veteran Dirk Enger. Adams is a licensed clinical social worker and donates about 25 hours a week to counsel at the Wheaton shelter, which serves as a much-needed lifeline for some veterans. The shelter has served more than 20 veterans since it opened in 2005.
The assistance they are providing is crucial, Adams said. The veteran's shelter provides transportation and a primary address so the veteran can receive basic health care .
"That's one of the things I'm proudest of," Adams said.
"These guys have no way to get around," he said. Without transportation, "there is no way to get (the) proper medical treatment that they need. The shelter provides a primary address and a way to follow up."
Adams emphasized that the health care is provided by the Veterans Administration; the shelter merely facilitates the process.
Another important service the shelter offers is psychological treatment. Veterans receive both individual and group treatment, Adams said.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among combat veterans, he said.
"Most who have been in combat have some leftover issues. By treating PTSD properly and on time, you have the chance to intervene," he said. "All the social ills and problems that PTSD can bring to society can really wreak havoc. Untreated, it can lead to a multitude of problems."
Case management is another way of assisting the veteran. The shelter provides help with legal and education issues, Adams said. Sometimes it is as simple as helping the veteran obtain a drivers license. Or they may get assistance with budgeting, housekeeping, job training and job placement.
Finding the veteran a home is the last piece to the puzzle.
"In the end, we help them to find a place to live," Adams said.
Adams understands well the issues the veterans are dealing with. Writing "Place of Angels" helped him work through some of the feelings he was having about the Vietnam war.
"It was cathartic," he said. "I had always though I would write about Vietnam. I had worked as a technical advisor for a couple of plays. Someone encouraged me to write my story, so I did. I had the chance to unburden. That's essentially what the play is.
"There's more laughter than you would expect," he said. "There are some tears. I tried to be as honest and as direct as I possibly could. I tried to cut away the hyperbole."
By staging "Place of Angels," the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans would like to accomplish two things.
"We'd like to raise the funds we need to allow us to move forward," Adams said. "And we'd like to raise awareness for veterans and their issues."
Some public officials have been invited to the play, including Gov. Pat Quinn, Secretary of State Jesse White and Daniel Grant, newly appointed director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs. Certain to be in attendance that night are veteran residents who have been invited from Edward Hines VA Hospital and Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.
"They're the real VIPs," Adams said.
"Place of Angels" will be performed at 7 p.m. Monday, March 30, at the McAninch Arts Center, Park Boulevard at Fawell Drive, Glen Ellyn. Tickets, $50, are available by calling the McAninch box office at (630) 942-4000 or online at the shelter's Web site, helpaveteran.org.
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> "Place of Angels," a one-man show about a soldier's experience in Vietnam</p> <p class="News"><b>Why:</b> Proceeds benefit the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 7 p.m. Monday, March 30</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> McAninch Arts Center, Park Boulevard at Fawell Drive, Glen Ellyn</p> <p class="News"><b>Tickets:</b> $50</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 942-4000 or <a href="http://www.helpaveteran.org" target="new">helpaveteran.org</a></p>