My VeT- John M Veldran

~ here is a picture taken by his fellow soldiers after he passed out~

John M Veldran is a fellow student here at John Jay College. I recently met him this year. His personality and charismatic behavior makes him a pretty funny guy. He and I share the same english 101 class. In class he's well spoken and usually one of the few to participate in all discussions. He brings humor to every class, although this is true when we engaged in a conversation about his experience over seas in the War in Iraq he was a little more reserved. John grew up and still lives in Bushwick Brooklyn. John decided to jion the military as a way out of going to school. He speaks highly of his experience in Iraq however complains about the heat and sickness while there. One thing that stands out to me was the story he told of his fellow soldier PVT Lenon who was 30 yrs old from NJ, that had committed suicide. During the interview he didn't go into details of the incident, but some time later when we were talking he did. He explained how he and a couple others witnessed PVT Lenon on the phone speaking to his girlfriend and while on the phone a few mins later raising a gun to his mouth and shooting. This story stands out because it brings realization to the hardships in war. At the end of the interview John made a statement that reads "I think that for someone who has no direction for their future, or sense of direction period the military is the perfect start. You get a chance to explore the world. Discover yourself and your identity. You develop a sense of pride. Out here you're invisible. There you are somebody more confident".