Veterans 'Coming Home' Focus of One Book, One Community Event

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A panel including veterans, mental health professionals and a sociologist will discuss "Coming Home: The Challenges for Veterans Re-entering Society," from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Walker Community Room of the Fayetteville Public Library. A question and answer session will follow the discussion. The event is free and open to the public.

The panel members are Karen Pardue, a licensed clinical social work for Veterans Health Care of the Ozarks; David Swindle, transitional patient advocate with the Veterans Administration; Lester Gauntt, mental health registered nurse with the Veterans Administration; and Lori Holyfield, sociology professor at the University of Arkansas. All four share an understanding of what it is like for veterans to transition back into society after military service. Swindle and Gauntt are both veterans.

The event is part of the University of Arkansas One Book, One Community project, which this year features the memoir What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes. He served as a Marine platoon leader in Vietnam, where he earned the Navy Cross, two Navy Commendation Medals for Valor, two Purple Hearts, and 10 air medals for his actions in combat. He also has degrees from Yale University and Oxford University. His first book, Matterhorn, is considered one of the best novels written about the Vietnam War. Marlantes has said his writing is an ongoing effort to understand and come to terms with what he saw during the war, and adjusting to civilian life after his return.

Marlantes will visit the U of A campus on Thursday, Oct. 30. He will hold an informal discussion session from 1:30-3 p.m. in room 501 of the Science Engineering building.

He will present the annual One Book, One Community Lecture at 6:30 p.m. in Hillside Auditorium at the University of Arkansas. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Marlantes will also speak to local book club members at the Fayetteville Public Library on Friday, Oct. 31.

This is the sixth year of the One Book, One Community project, which encourages the university and surrounding community to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. Students enrolled in the University Perspectives course and several other classes are reading, discussing and writing about What It's Like to Go to War as part of their course assignments. Members of local book clubs are also featuring the book in their reading.