The idea behind sharing your story is that the TRUTH will contribute towards reconciliation. Having faced the past, having seen and accepted it in all its dark reality, the Veteran can turn towards the future with confidence, without fear of unprocessed feelings of guilt or hate.

It takes time and the right conditions for many people to reach the piont where they are finally prepared, maybe even eager, to tell their stories. After all, the story is often loaded with traumatic material. It hurts to tell the truth, even though the ensuing relief often outweighs the pain. May feel that they can only tell their tale to one who knows, who has been through more or less the same type of experiences. Entrusting one's own highly personal and often traumatic memories is no easy task. Many choose not to.

This following information should help the Veteran in the practical task of writing down his story in stuch a way that it can be useful. Writing down one's story helps clear the air as well as the conscience. Experience shows that afterwards, the Veteran feels relieved. Much that seemed difficul tor even impossible suddenly falls within the bounds of possibility.

What's Needed

THE FACTS: The primary, most important need is the facts. Events, places, dates, times, names of units, individual, etc. No history can be complete without this sort of information. Most of your time msut be spent getting the facts straight and writing them down in a way that can be easily understood.

THE EFFECTS: A second need is to know the effect of these experiences on the one telling the story. How did it feel at the time? What happened to you afterwards? How are things today? Why did are you telling your story? This is important in terms of understanding the effect of the war on the individuals involved.

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE WAR? Another need is to know something about the individual's lfie before the war. What is your background, upbringing, schooling, etc.? This is important in terms of understanding how and why people are affected by some of the unpleasant aspects of war. Useful also for your own understanding of what happened.

What Difficulties Are Faced by the Story-Teller

REMEMBERING: You may remember most of what happened, but there will probably be a whole lot that has been repressed and forgotten over the years. It is especially difficult to remember the order in which things happened. The process of writign itself can bring up memories that you did not even guess you possessed, often of the more traumatic events you were a part of. The brain is clever at repressing things that are too painful to remember. Write down your dreams immediately after waking. You may find clues that wll help you recall events that you had forgotten.

How to Go About the Task of Telling Your Story

CHRONOLOGY: Since the facts are the most important part, begin there. Write down a chronology: years, months, dates, etc. Fill in the events you do remember. Write down the ones you are not sure about on a separate paper. Add these to the chronology when have succeeded in placing them in time.

PLACES: Try and remember the names of all the places that appear in your story. If you can't remember at first, leave a gap to be filled in later.

MAPPING: Get hold of a map of the area. Keep it beside you at all times. Trace the course of events on the map as they pop up in memory.

CHECK WITH OTHERS: Get in touch with others of your unit. Ask them what they remember. Get in touch wtih your unit commander. He probably had a better grip over where you were at any given time. Explain what you are doing. Encourage others to write their own account of what happened.

EVENTS: Having mroe or less completed your chronology, you can now start filling in what happened. Again, keep to a time asis - divide the course of events into morning, afternoon and evening at least. Keep check on yourself, see that you don't get lost in details at the beginnign. These can be filled in later.

UNITS, GROUPS, ETC.: Make sure you get these right. Try to name each unit, group, etc. as they apepar in your story.

PEOPLE: Very important. Name everyone who appears in your story if you can. If you can't remember, leave gaps to be filled in later. Later, when the job is finished, you can decide whether or not to reveal the names of everyone who appears. If you decide not to reveal the names of certain persons, leave a gap or give them a pseydonym.

FEELINGS, EMOTIONS: Add something about how you felt. What emotions (anger, fear, guilt, etc.) we4re aroused at the time of each event.

BEFORE THE WAR: Jot down a similar chronology to the one you made for the war. Years, dates, etc. Start with your birth, the names of your parents, their occupations, etc. Go through your life up until call-up; fill in the most important events that happened. Where you lived, when your family moved, school career, etc. Then other, more personal information. Events, meetings with people, etc. that you feel had a decisive effect on your life.

AFTER THE WAR: Same procedure. Start with a chronology. Concentrate especially on what happened immediately after the war. Where you lived, employment, moves, etc. And then how you felt, what happened to you. Take the story up to the present. Describe briefly how you feel today. Have your views changed? How do you see the war years? What do you think you have learned? Do you still feel bad about what happened? Do you feel you need help in any way? What are your prospects? Do you have a positive view of your future, or does it all seem pretty hopeless?

THE STORY: Finally, type (or write) the whole story out. Begin on the first page with the summary of your basic chronology, listing the most important events, both before, during and after the war. This will help to keep track of everythign that follows. Then add the story, following the same basic chronology.

What to Do With Your Story

READ IT THROUGH: Read it through a few times, preferably with a week or two in between. You may notice something that sounds wrong, that could be better expressed, or some new memory can come to the surface.

DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT: Make your decision about whether or not to share your story with others ... family, friends, others in group therapy. Decide if there is anything you want to leave out of the story should someone else read or hear it. Sign and date the entire text.