Page 32 - Amarillo Senior Link Magazine Fall 2021 - Online Magazine

SENIOR RESOURCES

HELP IS A

Phone Call Away

by Tim Bowles

y great-grandfather
Bowles was assigned
Mto the Canadian
Expeditionary Force and fought
as an ally with the United States
in World War I, as a Machine Gun
Sergeant. There is a great photo
of him squatting in full uniform
in front of his teepee style tent,
training another soldier in the art
of using a water-cooled Browning
machine gun. My great-grandfather
saw combat a few times. During his
initial tour, he was shot, recovered,
and then went back for another
tour. During his second tour, he
came down with the Spanish Flu,
recovered and went back for a third
tour. When he returned from his
third tour, pictures show that he
had the “thousand-mile stare.” He
had most likely seen the killing of
people of all ages, witnessed bodies
maimed and watched his friends
die in combat. He likely had what
was known as “shell shock” or what
we call today Post-Traumatic Stress.

I never met my great-grandfather,
but my Bowles family was Those who have served for or on suffered from untreated substance
particularly good at taking and behalf of the United States military misuse and mental illness. In the
keeping photographs. There are have a high rate of substance general veteran population, an
photos of my great-grandfather misuse and mental health concerns, organization called Substance
going to serve and another picture like Post-Traumatic Stress. As I have Abuse & Mental Health Services
of him following his third tour. worked with the homeless, many Administration has revealed that
The before and after pictures of his of the veterans who have lived on only 50% of returning veterans who
service times were night and day. the streets were very intelligent need mental health care, will receive

and resourceful. However, most services. Many veterans and/or

32 Amarillo Senior Link