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Community Corner

Veronesi Sings: A Soldier's Story Part III

Fairfield Country's Caterina Veronesi will sing at at the Female Soldier, Forgotten Hero Gala.

Whether she's calling cadence or singing an aria, Sergeant Major Caterina Veronesi knows the power of notes.

"Singing is something I know how to do," Veronesi said.

On May 1, her voice will fill the Wilton Library and the ears of all who attend the Female Soldier, Forgotten Hero's gala fundraiser. That evening the Fairfield County resident will sing the National Anthem.

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The lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner come from Francis Scott Key's poem "Defence [sic] of Fort McHenry." The poet, then 35, wrote the words after seeing the British Royal Navy bombard Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

The words ring true for Veronesi.

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"I've lived it, I've run from a mortar," Veronesi said. "It makes it a much more powerful lyric to me. If I can, in my own way, communicate that to an audience I did something good."

With her second deployment to Iraq approaching, Veronesi finds time running short. To train for the September mission she frequently travels to Virginia and Washington, DC. Still, Veronesi finds time for voice lessons.

"Music is the soul of life and she sings with her heart," said her mother Grace Veronesi.

Indeed, she's always sung with her heart. In kindergarten, she sang "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" to the delight of parents and teachers, said her mother. The girl with ringlets on her head could carry a tune. Veronesi's grandparents suggested voice lessons.

Those voice lessons led Veronesi to study opera.  She graduated with a certificate in Performing Arts from Boston University. And she sang with various choruses before joining the Army in 1985. Between deployments, Veronesi participated in Stamford's Schubert Club.

Veronesi heard about the Wilton-based FSFH from her mom. She attended her first meeting several weeks ago.

"Veterans causes are very near and dear to me," Veronesi said. "I'm here for a few months, so whatever I can do to help. There's a statistic out there, let's change it."

Nationwide, between 6,000 and 8,000 women veterans are homeless, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of those, between 300 and 400 live in Connecticut.  Many of these women veterans need transitional supportive housing to help reintroduce them into the larger community.

Connecticut currently has 106 transitional supportive beds but less than 10 of them are for women. The FSFH gala will raise money to secure transitional housing designated for women.

Of the more than 19,000 female veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan diagnosed with mental disorders, more than 8,000 have post-traumatic stress, according to the VA. This excludes troops still enlisted and troops who haven't used VA services.

As of July 2009, slightly more than 5,000 Iraq or Afghanistan female veterans had received disability benefits for the stress disorder, compared with nearly 58,000 males.

In Iraq, or any war, the erratic nature of attacks can cause fear and anxiety across the ranks. Veronesi tries to sooth soldiers' fears and keep troops focused on the mission. When necessary she enlists the local chaplain and combat stress control team to provide emotional, psychological and spiritual guidance for any soldier in need.

Admitting they need help ranks among the bravest things any soldier can do, Veronesi said.  Getting involved in FSFH was natural for Veronesi, who witnessed the gap between soldiers and civilians while on deployment.

"They will forget they have a family waiting for them. They will forget they have students waiting for them to teach them," Veronesi said. "They forget there's a need for them. That's where homelessness begins, when there is a disconnect."

With 26 years in service, some might think Sergeant Major Veronesi has more than served the nation. But giving drives Veronesi – be it for FSFH or the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation - and that doesn't surprise her mother.

"This is the gospel truth. She can't give enough," said Grace Veronesi. "That's the way the soldiers are. They're beautiful people."

To read the first part of this series, click here.

To read the second part of this series, click here.

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