Lucas Clark

Lucas Clark

A Window Into PTSD

By Amanda Renkiewicz

On guard with one of the Afghani Army soldiers we worked hand in hand with in Kunar Afghanistan. Op Bari Ali.

Meet Lucas Clark, a 30-year-old Veterans Affairs officer. His job is to help veterans get connected to the VA by making their office a one-stop-shop. By providing more resources and connections for their veterans, he can refer people to the right outreach centers, from housing to employment. As a child, young Lucas always wanted to be a cop at Halloween. He was constantly striving to do services for others, although his frequent calls to the 911 dispatch center would get him in trouble with his parents. Many of his family and role models had served in the military, including his dad, grandparents, great grandparents, and uncles. He knew from the start that he wanted to join and do something meaningful with his life.

Originally, Lucas was interested in joining the Coast Guard. After looking into training and researching the program, he went to enlist and was surprised to learn that there was a two year wait list for swimmers from Michigan. Undeterred, he went to the Army division and told his story. He received a recommendation to be an army diver.

“What do they do?” he asked with interest.

“Honestly, I don’t know, I’ve never met one,” replied the recruiter.

With that lukewarm response, Lucas instead became a cavalry scout. He was misled by his vision of riding a dirt bike or dune buggy through the desert and having a generally thrilling time. “I didn’t see one dirt bike the whole time I was deployed,” he admitted with a smile.

Memorial Day parade 2012, Alden, MI, shortly after leaving the service.

On guard, Kunar Afghanistan, OP Pirtle King.

His experience in the Middle East was difficult. In Afghanistan, his vehicle struck an IED. He woke up on the ground later, having survived, but being wounded enough to suffer from PTSD and memory issues. After completing his time in the military, he struggled for three months as he searched for a job. His financial problems worsened until he reached out to the VA, getting involved and back on his feet.

"Enjoying one of my few passions, grilling!"

Lucas admits that shelving his pride and asking for help was a challenge. “Everyone wants to be self-sufficient. No one wants to ask for a hand- out or trust in others after their experiences,” he said. Despite his own reservations, he knew he needed to seek help by seeing a psychologist, who he still meets weekly. By making therapy a priority, he gathers non-biased help and insight into how he can move on. His encouragement for others is to do the same. “Their story is my story,” he explained empathetically about his fellow veterans.

“I believe I’m alive for a reason,” Lucas said. He devotes much of his time to public speaking, providing support for other veterans, and being involved in the community and veteran events. “Maybe one person needed to hear what I had to say,” he said. “Maybe my story mattered for that one person, and if that person gets help after hearing my story, then my mission was successful.”

“People care!” Lucas said strongly. “There are resources for veterans out there. We are worth the help and the effort. We matter. Trying to better your life genuinely sucks,” he added with a laugh. “I know it’s cliche, but life is a rollercoaster, and the downs can last a very long time. But they last as long as you let them.”

Providing overwatch for route clearnace missions. Kunar Afghanistan. OP Bari Ali.

Fishing in the Clam River, summer 2019