Interview with Air Force Veteran Bruce Carlson

 MarquetteMagazine.com

Marquette, MI, – This Memorial Day we felt it appropriate to showcase one of the very first articles we presented here on Marquette Magazine in this interview with Air Force Veteran Bruce Carlson. what better way to show support and respect for our country’s servicemen than to hear about the time he spent giving to his country and what these holidays mean to him now.  Looking back on his time in the armed forces Bruce had some important things to say about his experiences then and how it affects his life today.

Bruce Carlson joined the Air Force back in 1968 when he was 18yrs old. He trained as a combat medic but was unable to serve overseas in Vietnam, because his brother was already there. Instead he went to work in a military hospital ward in San Diego where he faced combat of another sort while helping patients of the psychiatric ward.  Here he was injured on duty and was transferred into physical therapy, a field where he discovered the love of his life, to help other people. It was this work that brought him to the K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in the Upper Peninsula and found the place he wanted to spend the rest of his life, Marquette!

Carlson feels the education he received due to the G.I. Bill was phenomenal and is very grateful for it.  The path it led him on provided him with many rewarding experiences helping others which he would never trade for the world.  However, he said, ” The only bad thing was I had to go through the military to get it.” Unfortunately, for many in the armed forces they pay the price with some bad occurrences that stay with them for life. For Carlson, focusing on school helped him to get through the bad times.

More often than not our veterans spend their lifetime struggling with the physical and mental complications these hardships from military service can cause and Carlson is disappointed to see vets not getting the medical care they need.  It seems the VA (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs) system is so overloaded there’s no way it can provide the necessary services under the current situation. Says Carlson, “The backlog is ridiculous!” Carlson’s difficulties with the VA backlog is all too common as most veterans don’t feel the VA is delivering on the promise they made upon accepting them into military service.  According to Carlson, it’s a constant process of demanding needed services and having to be the squeakiest wheel. Although aware that the VA is trying to help Carlson says, “Generally speaking, I think I’ve been ignored more than anything else.”

Carlson also has ideas about how the system could be improved.  Because doctors are changing all the time shuffling from one place to another there is a lack of consistent care. VA programs must be more adequately staffed in order to make a real difference. Besides the U.S. military investing more money into the care of it’s veterans Carlson says, “Having more Physician’s Assistants is the way to go.” Doctors have limited time and physician’s assistants can be brought into the care system for more reasonable prices. He feels veterans need care providers that can see them on a regular basis and get things done in a faster manner. Physician’s Assistants would allow for more direct support and services to the veterans and help relieve the backlogged system.

Despite the challenges Carlson has experienced with the military during his service and now with the VA system, he remains proud of his service in the U.S. Air Force for his country and fellow citizens.  However, it wasn’t always that way. Carlson remembers when he left military service in 1972 and wouldn’t wear any clothing signifying his connection to the air force due to the anger directed towards servicemen at the time. He wasn’t proud of his service until years later when people began asking him about his experience and thanking him for it. The Veteran’s day holiday holds meaning for him now because of the high respect now given to military vets.

When asked what he advice he could give to young people considering to join the armed forces now he feels that there are many

Thank you for reading this Marquette Magazine feature: Veteran’s Day Interview with Air Force veteran Bruce Carlson. If you have stories or comments to share about your armed forces experience, please leave us a comment!

by Erica McMillan

Out of curiosity and necessity I have become accustomed to wearing many hats in life. The latest hat in my collection is as owner/publisher/author/photographer/videographer for Marquette Magazine. Among other things I am a doula, certified breastfeeding counselor, NMU student, and mother of 5... whew, I'm getting tired just writing that...

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