Sailors Speak: The Impact of War on Naval Veterans, their Families, and the Country

FAIN: AV-279609-21

USS Constitution Museum, Inc. (Boston, MA 02129-0215)
Sarah Watkins (Project Director: October 2020 to present)

The training of facilitators to lead three discussion series for naval veterans and their families, based on historical documents and material culture from the War of 1812 and the post-9/11 wars.

"Sailors Speak" is a humanities-based discussion program for navy veterans, their adult family members, and the general public. Using USS Constitution as a lens, the program examines the War of 1812 and the Global War on Terror through multimedia primary sources. This five-day preparatory program will train ten veteran and non-veteran facilitators to lead three distinct discussion series for naval veterans and their families. Participants will interpret their own experiences as veterans and military family members in a historical context exploring similarities, changes and universal themes. Themes include motivation for joining the navy; impact of separation on families; naval service and the experience of war; returning home and reintegration; and commemoration and memory. Through this project, discussion leaders, humanities scholars, mental health professionals and those with first-hand experience will promote community building, connection, and healing through open dialogue.