"I'd like new veterans to know, whether you feel like you need the help or not, as soon as you step off the plane home, find your veterans hospital and walk in the door." (Audio Interview, 49:57)

Marva Lucille Gray

Marva Gray [detail from video interview] War: Iraq War, 2003-2011 Branch: Army Unit: 261st Ordnance Company; 266th Ordnance Company Service Location: Iraq Rank: Sergeant

As a newly single parent raising her son in Charleston, West Virginia, in the late 1980s, Marva Gray looked to the military as a source of stability and career advancement. Enlisting in the National Guard offered her the chance to pursue new opportunities and still care for her son. Her unit was activated shortly after the September 11 terrorist attacks, and she deployed to Iraq in early 2003. The two years she spent there, weathering shelling and IEDs, took a toll. Upon her return home, she found herself jumpy and plagued by insomnia. In her oral history interview, she encourages all returning combat veterans to seek care from the VA.