Vietnam Vet Stops in Ossining on Walk to Raise Awareness of PTSD

Vietnam veteran Frank Romeo stopped at Ossining High School May 16 during his walk across New York State to raise awareness about mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr. Romeo, 70, began his 750-mile journey in Western New York on March 1. He walked through the state’s Northern Tier and Southern Tier over to Albany, and then south. He has visited homeless shelters and spoken to veterans, students and others along the way. He and a cinematographer are filming a documentary about his experiences during the walk.

For the past 30 years, Mr. Romeo has traveled around the United States to teach and advocate for PTSD awareness. On his website, he said he was diagnosed with 100% PTSD-related disabilities. “The cause and effect of this socially crippling disease has consumed my life and fueled my work,” he wrote.

He discovered that hands-on discovery of art helps in dealing with trauma. He developed "The Art of War" in the early 1990s as a learning tool to bridge the gap between pre-trauma and post-trauma.

In conjunction with Mr. Romeo, the Bay Shore School District in Suffolk County developed and piloted a curriculum in 2018 for high school students. The program teaches students what it is like to be a soldier and veteran, and about sacrifice and patriotism.

“With the average suicide rate among veterans suffering from PTSD at 22 deaths per day, we must build awareness and subsequent action among the public and policymakers,” Mr. Romeo wrote on his website.