of men and women slip through the cracks
when they come home. I see them get fired
because employers aren’t held accountable
for dealing with soldiers with anxiety issues.
I see things that sadden me,” he says. “But
a smiling face, a compassionate heart, a
listening ear, and the vibrations of a guitar
can help. I can’t sit back and not be part of
the solution. Medication is a useful band-aid
but in no way helps the soldier get their soul
back. If a soldier takes meds as the end-all
be-all, they will miss out on getting their
whole person back. If we take the lead with
this program, maybe others will find it easier
to help veterans—and maybe the VA will
become more progressive and not just say,
‘Increase your meds.’”
he’d be “a good fit.” He explains, “Our phi-
losophies are right in line with each other. I’m
sold on the therapeutic value of music—you
spend an hour a day doing it, and your body
treats it like a workout. It relieves your stress.
You practice until you get it right, and that
provides a sense of accomplishment.”
Dan Van Buskirk (right), a Marines reconaissance scout during the Vietnam War, took up guitar in 2005 after years of PTSD
had ravaged his personal and professional lives. In 2008, he and his instructor, Patrick Nettesheim (left), formed Guitars for
Vets. Photo by Tim Evans
How to Help
Guitars for Vets has distributed over 600 guitar packs to date, but these instruments are
purchased, not donated—and G4V incurs
significant shipping costs to send guitars
to its chapters. Each guitar pack consists
of an instrument, a bag, and a tuner, and it
is paid for by G4V, with the Oscar Schmidt
acoustics being purchased at dealer cost. To
date, no manufacturer has been willing to
donate any instruments, so the organization
relies on monetary donations from supporters. For the price of an evening out—dinner,
movie, and drinks—you can help pay for one
of these packs. Stay home one night and
change a veteran’s life.
For that reason, DeRuiter makes a point of
teaching actual songs to his students right
away, helping them through “He’s Got the
Whole World in His Hands” and “The Ballad
of Tom Dooley.” “If you’ve got a song, you’ve
got something,” he says. “Some of these vet-
erans have never played guitar before, and
they love it. They practice on their own and
get together to practice too.”
Alan Harrison, another Vietnam vet involved
with G4V, learned about the organization
through the Milwaukee VA hospital. He had
played guitar as a teenager but gave it up
when he joined the Navy, where he spent
21 years. He also suffers from severe PTSD.
During his time in the service, he says, “I
saw a man dismembered, sucked into the
intake of a jet, and that wasn’t the worst
thing I saw.”
Nettesheim says that camaraderie is a crucial
element of Guitars for Vets. “When you talk to
veterans—especially combat veterans—they’ll
tell you that they miss the teamwork and close
friendships they formed while in the service.
When their tour is over, they often move on
and never see each other again. They fight to
protect each other’s lives, and there is a great
sense of loss when those relationships are gone.
They go from the battlefield to being thrust
back into civilian life. Concentrating on playing
and practicing in groups helps them to stop
thinking about their grief. Working together
brings them feelings of family and belonging.”
When Harrison returned to civilian life, he
couldn’t erase his memories. PTSD and
depression had set in. Two years ago, he
signed on for lessons with Guitars for Vets and
now he’s a volunteer for the program. “When
I pick up the guitar, it takes me to a simpler
time when I didn’t have these memories,” he
says. “The guitar eases the pain. Without this
program, I would still be in serious therapy.
It helps me cope.” (Visit myspace.com/gui-
tarsforvets to hear “Dusty Old Road,” a song
Harrison and Meaghan Owens wrote about his
experiences as a veteran.)
Of course, Harrison, Van Buskirk, DeRuiter,
and Miranda are just a few of the count-
less veterans of past and present armed
conflicts who suffer from the debilitating
effects of PTSD. Van Buskirk expresses great
concern for those who have served multiple
tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. “I see a lot
Before receiving their free guitar at their
sixth lesson, veterans enrolled in G4V learn
to play on donated practice guitars. If you
have an acoustic guitar gathering dust in
your closet, send it in. Even if the instrument
is no longer playable, artists associated with
the program can turn it into an art piece
that will then be sold to raise funds for
G4V. Even if you don’t have an old guitar to
donate, you can help raise awareness of the
program and provide useful funds by pur-
chasing Guitars for Vets merchandise on the
organization’s website. There are other ways
to get involved, too. G4V needs instructors
and coordinators to set up new chapters and
help with existing groups. Visit their website
guitarsforvets.org or G4V’s Facebook page
for more details on the program and ways
you can make a difference.
