Honoring Our Veterans – Michael Stevenson
Author: Matt Nelson
Honoring Our Veterans – Michael Stevenson
Matt Nelson
Michael Stevenson was born in Conrad, lived in Ft. Shaw, and went to high school in Simms. After that, he went to Montana State University, prior to being drafted in the US Army.
Quoting Mike, “My wonderful journey in the military began with Draft Number 13. I got drafted in November of 1971 and got out in August of 1973. I did my Basic Training at Ft. Lewis, Washington. I got held over, and I wasn’t sure where I was going to go. It looked like Vietnam, Hawaii, or Alaska, and I got Alaska. I wasn’t very happy with that – Ha! I was really very happy! I loved Alaska, the fishing, the outdoors, it was really clean.
I went to two forts before I went to Fort Greely. They didn’t know what to do with me. My MOS (Military Occupation Specialty) was a 91Gulf20, which was a Social Work psychology specialist. Prior to that, I had gone to school for three years in social work. So, I ended up at Fort Greely and this was the time that the troops were struggling with mental health issues, drinking, and drugs. I ended up being the only qualified person there so I was ordered to start a drug program. I had a lot of support from USARAL, the acronym for U.S. Army Alaska out of Anchorage. I was given an office room and I set up a RAP room because that was cool at the point in time. I also did different presentations to different army units that were there. We had the Northwest Training Center for Winter training for the troops, and we had other contingencies in the Medical Corp.
While I was there I developed a drug and alcohol prevention program. We got a lot of religious support. I had a Captain who was an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). He came in and helped steer us in the right direction. While I was there the Medical Clinic was pretty much the only clinic between Anchorage and Fairbanks. What we ended up seeing in our Medical Clinic was a lot of medical emergencies. We had a helicopter go down with a pod of 19 guys in it. The co-pilot was killed. There were four different homicides with guns up there. People got pretty crazy in the middle of Winter. It was kind of interesting; it wasn’t quite what I expected. I did that service, and I got an ARCOM (Army Commendation Medal) for my work in setting up a drug and alcohol program.
When I got out I went back to school and finished my degree. Then I worked for a while at a crisis center. I went to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and got my Master’s. Once I got my degree I came back to Montana and headed up another drug program in Anaconda, and became the regional social worker for the Southwest Montana drug program.
I worked at the state hospital for a year and I worked in mental health for about six years. Then I got to work at Fort Harrison. I started there again with the drug and alcohol program.
I got the honor of working with a few World War I vets. There weren’t many left. Lots of World War II vets, Korean Vets, and Viet Nam Vets. I have always wanted to help people. That’s been kind of my M.O. What I found is that I was really able to help a lot of people. I have worked on medical units and surgical units, and I have worked on psych units, and at outpatient sites. So I have had a lot of experience dealing with guys with PTSD. I have a lot of empathy for these folks with PTSD. It is not like a veteran who lost an arm or lost a leg. Sometimes it’s a lot harder for them to adjust. I know vets that leave town on the Fourth of July. They don’t want to hear the fireworks. It triggers them. I find it is better just to let people talk, what’s the combat zone and what’s the real world, and learn how to insulate yourself just a little bit, so that you have strategies that you get into so you can do something different. Veteran's main coping skill is fight or flight.
I enjoy working with veterans a lot. The last place I worked was in Salt Lake City, and I was working with inpatient psych units. We had some pretty traumatized veterans, both physically and psychologically. While I was there, I was affiliated with the University of Utah. I had social work students under me.”
Mike often tried to help veterans receive their benefits from the VA and said that he has a lot of respect for these people. One, in particular. was a World War II vet who had been on the horrible Bataan Death March in 1942. Mike helped this man fill out the necessary paperwork and gave it to the man to sign. After thinking it over, the man tore up the paperwork, and said, “I was the lucky one.” Mike also helped other POWs; one man who had served in Korea was terribly disfigured from the torture he had undergone. Another man was blind due to war injuries but often climbed high mountains with one of his buddies. During the interview, Mike often mentioned how much he cares for people, especially veterans, who suffer from drugs, alcohol, and mental and physical difficulties. He has this reporter’s high respect.
Mike and his wife Laura are the parents of Sarah Tallwhiteman, and grandparents of Sarah’s two daughters, Tia and Kianna. Sarah works for the MT 43 News. Their other daughter is Rebekah Dickerson, who lives in Missoula with her husband, Montez, and has 4 children, Eleora, Gabriel, Nathaneal and Mirakel.
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PhotoCredit: Matt Nelson
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