Discussion facilitators visited a war memorial in Northfield as part of their training. Photo by Michael Murray, courtesy of the Minnesota Humanities Center.
As part of the NEH’s Dialogues on the Experience of War initiative, the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) developed Echoes of War, a program that helped veterans and civilians reflect on the impact of war on their communities through facilitated discussions and public events. Participants read and discussed the anthology Standing Down: From Warrior to Civilian and examined how wars from World War I to the conflicts in Iraq are remembered through the state’s war memorials. Most importantly, the program gave veterans tools to reflect upon and share their experiences while making a meaningful contribution to bridging the military-civilian divide in three communities.
“[Echoes of War] gave me a voice to share my unique experiences while allowing me to interact with people who I would normally not come in contact with. Understanding their perspectives and experiences gave me a more well rounded sense of my own life and personal history.”
–Veteran participant
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From 2016 through 2018, two NEH grants funded public dialogues for veterans, held in Northfield, St. Paul, and Winona. Ten to fifteen discussion facilitators were trained for each discussion series, gathering to learn about historical and scholarly texts, the challenges veterans face, and techniques for effectively facilitating sensitive discussions. Drawing participants from three generations of veterans, discussions emphasized commonalities among diverse experiences through themes of duty, suffering, and heroism. Public presentations—featuring renowned poet Brian Turner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen, and noted historian Ron Milam—also helped bridge the civilian-military divide. “I realized that civilians often want to genuinely connect with veterans, but because of possible misconceptions, it can seem more difficult than it is,” reflected one veteran participant.
Discussion facilitators reflect upon how war is remembered in Minnesota at a war memorial in Northfield. Photo by Michael Murray, courtesy of the Minnesota Humanities Center.
Participants’ responses to a survey demonstrate the program’s ongoing impact. A large majority of veteran respondents testified that the program “added value and meaning to [their] experience as a veteran,” helping them to voice their experiences, appreciate those of others, and deepening their understanding. As one veteran participant elaborated, “knowing one another and sharing what we carry with us through conversation, story, and shared experiences is essential.” MHC continues to use the power of the humanities to help Minnesota’s veterans be heard through its ongoing Veterans’ Voices initiatives. For 2018-2019, MHC collaborated with Twin Cities PBS to award grants to partner institutions in six communities to host public dialogues reflecting upon the Vietnam War.
