Today, as part of “National Salute to Veteran Patients” week, Veterans Studies students, Prof. Peter Berres, Dr. Lisa Day and I visited patients at the VA Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Veterans Studies Minors and students currently enrolled in “VTS 200: Introduction to Veterans Studies” got the opportunity to visit, chat with veterans about their service, and learn about the VA healthcare system.

Travis L. Martin, PhD, is founding director of the Kentucky Center for Veterans Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. He has established several nationally recognized programs to support returning veterans in higher education and the non-profit sector. A scholar of American literature, psychoanalytic trauma theory, and social theory, Dr. Martin presents frequently at conferences and universities. He has published dozens of research articles and creative short works on veterans’ issues. A former sergeant in the U.S. Army, he served during two deployments in the Iraq War (2003-04 & 2005). His book War and Homecoming: Veteran Identity and the Post-9/11 Generation is slated for publication with the University Press of Kentucky in 2022. He resides in Richmond, KY.