Many veterans have begun to use art as a way to heal emotionally and physically from the traumas of combat. Anthony LoBue, better known as Tony the Vet, is a Vietnam veteran, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and former member of the Texas National Guard. LoBue found that art helped him recover from post-traumatic stress disorder and deal with the spinal injuries he sustained in service. The 72-year-old veteran is now sharing his therapy with other former servicemembers around the San Diego area.
"I absolutely believe the self-evident healing power of the arts is at least equivalent to the doctor's scalpel, the psychiatrist's drug and the psychologist's talk as effective self-intervention," LoBue told the San Diego Union-Tribune.
LoBue partnered with the Veterans in the Arts Initiatives, a program committed to improving the lives of veterans through art programs, to bring creative writing, painting, music and sculpting classes to local veterans. He believes that art can serve two main purposes for veterans: It can help them communicate their story to their community, and it can help the community understand the veterans' experiences. To LoBue, there is no truer form of expression than art, and he wants to share the liberating activity with others.