Demond Mullins: A Veteran's Recovery from the Violence of War
Demond “Dom” Mullins is an Iraq Veteran who served in hopes of using the GI Bill to pursue his passion of studying history. However, he described his experience as being much more traumatic than he could have anticipated. As a New York native, Dom was “scared shitless” when he heard of the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City while he was in basic training. While serving as an Armor Crewman in Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF II), he witnessed extreme violence and loss of life. Upon returning home, he wrestled with his role as an instrument of violence and felt extreme anger about what he had seen and what he had done. His problems did not end with his return home. Several years later, Dom continued to struggle with fallout from his time in the military. At the time of his interview with Betsy Brinson in 2006, he had yet to receive the GI benefits that were promised to him.
Military service leaves an indelible mark on the lives of enlisted people. Explore this interactive map to follow Dom’s journey and to see how he aims to inspire future generations today:
SOURCES
Interview with Demond Mullins by Betsy Brinson, April 7, 2006, in the Southern Oral History Program Collection #4007, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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