12 U.S. VETERANS MAGAZINE WINTER 2019 WWW.USVETERANSMAGAZINE.COM

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ouglas Taurel is not an Bnfsjdbo!tpmejfs/!Ift!ofwfs! been to war. Yet veterans across the country are saluting him- thanking him for being "their voice," for telling their stories and for showing the nation what military members go through in times of war and at home. J!xboufe!up!xsjuf!tpnfuijoh! boe!J!xbt!wfsz!npwfe!cz!uif! tupsjft!J!xbt!sfbejoh!jo!uif!qbqfst! regarding combat veterans with PTSD and not having work. Some particular stories really moved me and started the spark (for the play,)" he said. Gps!uif!qbtu!wf!zfbst-!Ubvsfm! ibt!of.uvofe!ijt!pof.nbo!tipx! entitled, The American Soldier , xijdi!tqbot!bmm!pg!Bnfsjdbt! tjhojdbou!xbs!dpojdut!gspn!uif! Sfwpmvujpobsz!Xbs!up!uif!Jsbr!boe! Bghibojtubo!dpojdut/ Ubvsfm!qfsgpsnt!25!ejfsfou! dibsbdufst!evsjoh!ijt!91.njovuf! show, which will be performed gpmmpxjoh!Wfufsbot!Ebz!bu!uif! Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on November 13

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. The characters, which are based upon letters written by real servicemen in each war, include a father in the wake of his tpmejfs!tpot!tvjdjef

One-Man Show Transcends the Life of a Soldier

Douglas Taurel's American Soldier moves veterans, families to tears

xibu!uifz!\tpmjefst^!ibwf!up!hp! through. "The overall theme is thanking family members and veterans. The idea is to give the audience a sincere understanding of what it is that we ask our men and women in arms to do for us. That is the goal," he added. Audience members, veterans and critics alike are completely fouisbmmfe!cz!Ubvsfmt!qfsgpsnbodf! and his heartfelt portrayal of tpmejfst!boe!uifjs!gbnjmjft/!Ift! received hundreds of letter and comments regarding the show. Here are just a few of them below: "Words cannot express my profound gratitude in being bcmf!up!fyqfsjfodf!zpvs!bnb{joh! performance. As you carried out each story, you truly transcended the audience into the life of a soldier." Npuifs.jo.mbx!pg!b!wfufsbo! Zpvs!qfsgpsnbodf!xbt!stu!dmbtt-! moving, thoughtful, compassionate and heartfelt from the very beginning to the end. Tried holding cbdl!nz!ufbst-!cvu!uibu!ejeou!mbtu! long." -Desert Storm combat veteran "Your passion for the stories zpv!fobdu!ifmq!vt!sfbmj{f!xibu! the American soldier does and why they do it. Your inspiring portrayal of our veterans reminds us of the debt we owe our nations defenders." -Vietnam veteran J!tbx!boe!gfmu!uif!qbjo!boe! journey of each character you created and remembered all of uif!usbhfez!J!tbx!bt!b!ovstf!jo! Vietnam." -Civilian nurse Taurel has performed The American Solider !npsf!uibo!9-111!ujnft!jo! 22!ejfsfou!tubuft/!Ijt!qmbz!xbt! pof!pg!211pvu!pg!4-611!fousjft nominated for an Amnesty Joufsobujpobm!Bxbse/! But more than awards or reviews, Taurel says the years he spent researching and now portraying military members has given him a whole new appreciation for men and women in uniform. Xibu!J!ipqf!jt!up!tibsf!ipx! this allows our veterans to talk about their experiences," he said. Ju!ipopst!uifn!boe!uifjs!gbnjmjft! in their own words and gives them a voice. Opx-!bt!b!tpdjfuz-!xf!epou! have to make the same kind of dpnnjunfou!ps!tbdsjdft!uibu! previous generations made. Society gvodujpot!fdjfoumz!fwfo!xjui!xbs/! We forget what they go through. Nz!qmbz!sfnjoet!uifn/

CREDIT/DOUGLAS TAUREL/THE AMERICAN SOLDIER