“I had this urge in me,” he said. “I joined the Marine Corps infantry … I wanted to be the first to go abroad and fight.”
During basic training, he was selected for special duty to guard then-President George W. Bush at Camp David. After obtaining permission and completing his 14-month mission, he was still determined to go.
“I was ready to die when I landed in Iraq,” Casper said. “I was ready to do my job.”
Within the first four months, his Humvee was hit four times by IEDs. During one mission, his best friend and gunner, Luke Yepsen, is shot by a sniper and dies beside him.
“It was very difficult to understand what happened, because you go to work the next day as if nothing had happened,” Casper said. You have to get rid of the sex, they have to, because you can’t survive the war.”
Casper was completely changed after serving in Iraq and struggled to make the transition home. He began failing his college business courses and developed crippling anxiety.
“I couldn’t do it,” Casper said. “But I knew I was smart. It took a certain IQ to defend the president.”
He went to a local VA hospital and learned that he had medical problems such as post-traumatic stress, degenerative disc disease, and tinnitus.
“In 2007, they didn’t know much about PTS,” says Casper. “I was told I couldn’t learn new things.”
Casper decided to change his major to art.
“I didn’t want to do it. I felt like I had to do it,” Casper said. “And art changed my life.”
One of his early projects was a pastel painting of his friend Luke’s tombstone. He chose red for his lawn. A classmate explained how he felt when he saw it and why he thought he was using a certain color.
“They said they used red because they saw him die, or they said they used red because they were angry,” Casper said. “They understood me without me saying a word.”
Casper had found an outlet for his pain, but later wanted to share the healing power of art with other battling veterans.
The Songwriting Program is a three-day complimentary trip to Nashville, Tennessee, where veterans are paired with skilled songwriters and musicians to write and record personal songs.
They’re writing songs in the backstage dressing room at the Grand Ole Opry. For most veterans, it’s their first time writing a song. The next day they record the song in the studio with a singer and session musicians.
“After they wrote that song, they’re on cloud nine. It’s been great to see their life experiences go from being just a story I tell to a song they can share with everyone.”
The Visual Arts Program is a free, multi-week program at art schools such as the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the University of Southern California. Veterans spend time learning different mediums and working on their final project.
“I’m trying to explain to them, you’re not going to talk about you, so creating art will make it easier for you to tell your story,” Casper said. will talk about his art work and focus on it.”
Casper’s mission is to find veterans who can save lives and benefit most from participating. That’s why he aims to make each program as appealing as possible.
“How hard it is to turn down free trips to Nashville, Tennessee to write songs with[hit]artists and songwriters backstage at the Grand Ole Opry,” he said. “It won’t. You might be in the worst place of your life and think, ‘Let’s jump on that plane.'”
To date, the organization has assisted over 900 veterans. Through this work, Casper says he found his purpose and a way to honor his friends.
“Every time a veteran is saved, I think, ‘Luke saved someone else,'” Casper said. I know you’re looking down, saying, ‘I really live for both of you.'”
CNN’s Meg Dunn spoke with Casper about his job. Below is an edited version of their conversation.
CNN: What inspired you to join the U.S. Marine Corps?
Richard Casper: There were many reasons why I joined the military. The biggest thing is this spirit of service. Second, I come from a town of 1,100 people. All three of my older siblings have gone to jail and jail. I don’t think my dad graduated from high school, but he got his GED. My mother graduated from high school and worked in a factory all her life. We grew up on food stamps. And I was like, ‘I don’t know how to get out of this town without an army. So all of this combined made that decision really easy for me.
CNN: Your organization has a contract with a record company. How did it help you expand your work?
Casper: We can’t help all veterans, but our music can affect all veterans.We signed a management deal with Big Machine Records. It is the largest independent record label in Japan. And now some of their artists are releasing music with vocals in their songs, our music has over 4 million views of his.
So when you hear a very distinct voice like Justin Moore and you try to look up the song, you discover that the artist is actually CreatiVets featuring Justin Moore. And it’s like, “What is CreatiVets?” And you searched us and found that we would pay for your air ticket, food, and housing to Nashville to do the same thing that veteran did. We legally reach out to the homes of veterans who don’t ask for help.
CNN: What are your hopes for the future of CreatiVets?
Casper: I believe CreatiVets is now in a position to help design programs in the military. When you’re transitioning and learning how to write a resume or go to a job interview, there should be similarities that help your emotional intelligence and say it’s okay to write songs and do art. I think. .
Therefore, I would like to create a curriculum that must be taken when graduating. Understanding that wherever you go in life, you can use art and music to heal yourself. You could be on the farthest boonie. You still have an outlet that no one else needs. You can do it yourself through art and tap into it. That’s my big hope. It means that one day you can join the military as a transition point.
Source: www.cnn.com
