Phil Schwartz was a member of a six-person special ops team in Vietnam, where the risk of being captured and compromising their mission was so high that team members only shared their first names with each other. Tasked with freeing American prisoners, Phil did six deployments between 1965 and 1968. He says the experience was so intense that his defense mechanisms made it so he didn\u2019t even remember serving in Vietnam until 2017. With the help of a program called Soldier Songs and Voices<\/a> he is working through the emotional turmoil that this flood of memories has caused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had a lapse in memory of my time in Vietnam for over 50 years,\u201d he says. \u201cI suffer from PTSD real bad, and the writing is very therapeutic to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soldier Songs and Voices is just one of several programs that uses music and writing to help veterans with their struggles, whether those struggles be acclimating to civilian life, reconciling with their memories, or just finding a friend who will understand their frame of reference. The approaches these different organizations take varies widely, so veterans can find the right fit for their level of comfort, and for their level of musical experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Where an organization like Soldier Songs and Voices encourages veterans to use songwriting and poetry as a sort of cognitive processing therapy, a group like Music for Veterans<\/a> focuses on helping veterans learn an instrument. Through learning an instrument they build confidence, and eventually showcase the musical skills they\u2019ve developed through live performances in their communities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Music for Veterans and Soldier Songs and Voices both began in 2011, and each have several chapters throughout the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soldier Songs and Voices founder Dustin Welch says he started the group because as a touring musician, a song in his repertoire called \u201cSparrows\u201d would frequently resonate with veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n