11/11/2025
This is my dad. World War II veteran. Farmer. Like so many of his generation.
He came home from the war, picked up where he left off, and got back to work. No fanfare. No counseling. No talking about what he'd seen or carried. That wasn't what you did. You came home, you farmed, you provided for your family.
That generation of farmer-veterans built the backbone of rural America. They understood duty, sacrifice, and the kind of quiet resilience that doesn't ask for recognition. They knew how to endure.
But we also know now what that silence cost them. The nightmares they didn't talk about. The hypervigilance that never quite went away. The weight they carried alone because asking for help wasn't an option.
Today, we honor all veterans, including the farmers who served, came home, and went right back to the land. The ones who carried two kinds of burdens: the trauma of war and the relentless pressure of feeding a nation.
If you're a veteran in the agricultural community, or if you're the son or daughter of one, you know that rural culture and military culture share something: the expectation that you stay strong, push through, and handle it yourself.
But times have changed. Getting support for what you've been through, whether it's combat trauma, the stress of farming, or both, isn't weakness. It's wisdom.
My dad's generation didn't have that option. You do.
To all veterans, and especially those who've spent their lives working the land: thank you for your service. And if you're still carrying weight from it, you don't have to carry it alone.
Embracing Change Counseling Services | Honoring those who serve and those who feed us | Embracing Change Counseling Services | Serving the agricultural community with understanding and expertise
