So you might ask, what is so great about a patch?
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A patch can be an efficient tangible reminder of persons, places, events, transitions, achievements, and unity.It is a way to commemorate our own experiences as well as experiences of others.
According to 2012 statistics, 13% of American adults are military veterans.1Currently less than half a percent of Americans serve in the military.2Demographics have changed over time, with the now-elderly World War II generation having served at a rate of 12%.2Military service members are in a minority in the United States, and a patch is one way to represent solidarity, in the form of an object that can be seen, touched, worn, or put away for use on special occasions.
A patch is a way for military veterans and service members to recognize others with similar experiences and to indirectly communicate about an experience.
Pieces of history can be conveyed with patches. When we have no physical reminders of history we tend to forget the past, but it is essential to remember who and what have come before us.An object like a patch can help facilitate intergenerational understanding and aid collective memory.
A military patch might help a person access emotions ranging from pride to sadness. If emotions become too heavy to bear, a patch can be put away carefully in a safe place for later examination.
Finally, collecting patches can be a hobby, and hobbies are healthy.
Blog post by:
Pat Garrison
Resource Coordinator
Optima Vita, Inc.
References:
1Newport, F.(2012, November 12). In the US, 24% of men, 2% of women are veterans. Retrieved 8-14-2013 from http://www.gallup.com/poll/158729/men-women-veterans.aspx
2Eikenberry, K.W., & Kennedy, D.M. (2013, May 26). Op-Ed: Americans and their military, drifting apart. Retrieved 8-13-2013 from www.nytimes.com
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