{"id":2117,"date":"2014-07-29T10:51:29","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T14:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/dev-mag\/?p=2117"},"modified":"2014-12-18T15:16:27","modified_gmt":"2014-12-18T20:16:27","slug":"boots-to-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ww2.georgiasouthern.edu\/news\/magazine\/2014\/07\/29\/boots-to-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Boots to Books"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"bootstobooks3\"<\/p>\n

\u201cIn war, there are no unwounded soldiers.\u201d -Jose Narosky<\/em><\/p>\n

Look around. They\u2019re everywhere. On buildings. Classrooms. And clocks. On scoreboards. The football field. On uniforms. We are all bound by numbers. But the numbers we\u2019re talking about are difficult to see and much more staggering.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re talking about the sheer number of our military veterans. The soldiers, airman, sailors and Marines who make sacrifices for Country. Friends. Family. Sacrifices of honor and duty. But too many of these brave men and women return home wounded. Some with devastating injuries that change lives or alter plans. These wounds \u2013 some are visible. But others can\u2019t always be seen.<\/p>\n

Our veterans are bound by honor. Back from the battlefield, wounded veterans often return to uncertain futures. In fact, one in five soldiers returns from battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (For a story about how Georgia Southern researchers are studying new therapies for PTSD.<\/a>) Your gift ensures that our own wounded Georgia Southern students, who risked their lives for our freedom, will have the opportunity to receive a stipend to offset the costs that the G.I. Bill does not cover.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was born in Statesboro so I know Georgia Southern University is sensitive to the unique challenges our veterans face when they put down their weapons and pick up books,\u201d says Major General Bill Bland. \u201cThe Wounded Eagle Fund strives to ease their transition from soldier to student.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Fund helps ensure the successful adjustment of these national heroes and their future happiness and productivity – veterans like Marine Corps Staff Sergeant and business major John Kitchens. \u201cGeorgia Southern is a great university,\u201d says Kitchens. \u201cI\u2019ve put my future in its hands\u2026 a future made possible, in part, to the generous donors of the Wounded Eagle Fund.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, the numbers of wounded veterans are at times overwhelming. But you can help. They\u2019re here in numbers but that doesn\u2019t mean they have to be one. To Georgia Southern University and the Wounded Eagle Fund, our veterans are not just a number. They are family. They are part of the Eagle Nation.<\/p>\n

Georgia Southern<\/em> magazine caught up with Sgt. Kitchens during a Wounded Eagle video shoot in July. The following is just a small part of what he was able to share about his inspiring story.<\/p>\n

\"bootstobooks2\"Full Name:<\/strong> John Lawton Kitchens<\/p>\n

Year of enlistment:<\/strong> 2002<\/p>\n

Year of discharge:<\/strong> 2012<\/p>\n

Rank at enlistment:<\/strong> Private (E-1)<\/p>\n

Rank at discharge (if different):<\/strong> Staff Sergeant (E-6)<\/p>\n

Battalion:<\/strong> I served in a few different units during my service:<\/p>\n