Every year, on Nov. 11, the nation comes together to honor and remember those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. On Nov. 12, Blackbird Coffee, a local coffee shop in Milledgeville, held an exhibit hosted by Stephanie Jett, an assistant professor of psychology at GCSU, and her research lab to honor veterans. The research Jett and her team of undergrad and graduate students conducted was for veterans to define their “veteran identity.”
According to Sharon Young, a writer for The Journal of Veteran Studies, “Veteran identity involves veteran’s self-concept that derives from their military experience within a sociohistorical context.”
Veteran identity is a broadly defined term, and Jett and her team did not want it to be defined by the overall military experience but by the individual themself and their experiences.
“Instead of defining veterans for ourselves, we asked them, ‘Tell us who you are,’” Jett said. “And our jobs are just to be stewards of knowledge.”
The veterans shared what their identities mean to them individually through photos and songs.
“They’re allowed to display song lyrics and photographs that best represent their veteran identity,” said Hadley Quigg, a senior psychology major and member of Jett’s research lab. “It’s been really insightful, and I have learned a lot from the interviews, and it’s been interesting to hear about all the different experiences.”
The team took the songs each veteran chose and analyzed the lyrics to determine why their song choice correlated to their veteran identity. The same went for the photos that were on display for everyone to see. The veterans were told to choose photos that best represent their veteran identity, and each chose multiple photos that had the most meaning and significance to them.
There were four veterans represented at this exhibit from a variety of different military backgrounds. Each veteran spoke about their experience and had a band play their chosen songs. The band switched up who played a few times, allowing for different groups to perform each song. It consisted of music therapists from the life enrichment center, music therapy students, grad students involved in the project, members of the worship band at New City Church, friends and family of veterans, a veteran involved in the project and even Jett herself.
The first veteran to speak, who went by the alias DJ for privacy, was formerly in the Navy. She spoke about her healing journey and how it has been a life-long process. DJ stated that July 11, 2012, was a day that changed her life forever and that she considers it the worst day of her life.
DJ lost her child. Then, she was not allowed maternity leave, and the Navy tried to get her to go straight back to work. She had to fight for time off to heal her body and mind. She explained how the Navy hurt her, but what she had to learn in the healing process was that she had to stop talking about what the Navy took and had to think about what they gave.
The song she chose was “A Broken Wing” by Martina McBride, which she sang herself to express how the Navy made her into who she is today. At the beginning of her time serving, she thought the Navy was the best thing on earth and loved it. The song explains that in the beginning verses. Then, it goes on to talk about brokenness, and she explains how it was breaking her spirit but how it did not take her wings or leave her on the ground. It gave her freedom.
“It’s been so enlightening,” DJ said. “Talking about all this really brought up a lot of things that were buried and brought those things to the surface. It’s been truly incredible and healing.”
The next veteran to speak was aliased “A” and was formerly in the Air Force. They joined the military out of high school and spent six years as a radar maintainer. Then, A got into a motorcycle accident the day before they were supposed to be discharged and was put on medical disability.
A talked about how the song they chose was “It’s Called: Freefall” by Rainbow Kitten Surprise, which is about being in a dark place and learning to let go, and how struggles are not always surface level.
“There are people in life that you’re close to that you don’t really know as well as you think you do,” said A. “I think anytime you ask someone their experience in things, it broadens your perspective of them.”
The last veteran to speak went by James. As a father to one of the grad students who took part in the research lab, he felt encouraged to join in on the research and talked about his experience with the project, which caused him to delve back into old memories, including ones that he buried due to PTSD.
When choosing his song, he explained how no song could give the whole experience of three decades serving in the military. At the beginning of his career, he saw infinite possibilities and potential. In the middle, his perspective changed. There were growth and learning experiences. In the end, he was older and wiser and saw the importance of life, which is why he paired his song with it. He also mentioned how the desire to serve and protect his country never changed through each phase of his career.
The song he chose was “Ashokan Farewell” by Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, which was dedicated to the last section of his time in service, which was about longing and loss. His wife and daughter performed it, which was very special for him.
The photos he chose were photos of things that represent youth and adventure. He included one photo of a soldier embracing his wife. He chose this because the thing that struck him the most during his whole career was the happy reunion he had with his family and the love and dedication there was in service to his country as well as service to his family.
The final veteran who was honored at this exhibit went by the alias Choke. He was unable to make it to the exhibit to speak because he recently underwent surgery to remove his colon cancer. He is now in recovery and was informed that the doctors were able to remove all the cancer.
Jett spoke on his behalf, saying that he served for eight years from 1989 until 1991. The song he chose was “Dragonfly” by Shaman’s Harvest, which represents hope and rebirth for him. He explained that veterans have to evolve from the military self, get out of the mind of a soldier and, while keeping their sense of service, be a civilian and live life to the fullest.
For Veteran’s Day, the nation pauses to express gratitude, but there is also an opportunity to deepen the understanding of what it means to serve and sacrifice for a greater cause. Whether through personal stories or collective history, the observance invites people to honor the lived experiences of those who have worn the uniform—and to ensure that their service is never forgotten. That is what Jett and her team focused on.
To close out the night, Jett’s team chose a song that best represented the veteran community based on the conclusions from their research. They chose “Get Up” by Shinedown, and they used this song as a call to arms for the community to reflect on this holiday as a solemn reminder of the courage and sacrifice that so many have made in defense of the freedoms of the nation.
For some, the day may mean a quiet moment of remembrance, while for others, it is an opportunity to come together as a community to celebrate the valor and resilience of U.S. veterans.
