Nathan Clark has spent more than 20 years confronting his feelings about his military service, and how the world around him reacts to it. This Veterans Day, he asked his editor if he could put those feelings into words.

The result is a stark, powerful column by Clark , an Iraq War veteran who covers public safety for MLive in Ann Arbor and Jackson.

“I felt like I had something to get off my chest about the Veterans Day experience,” he said. “I had a habit of burying my thoughts and feelings for a long time and have only recently, within the last few years, opened up about things.”

Clark served eight years on active duty in the U.S. Army, in roles including mechanic, convoy and guard operations, and hazardous materials work before being promoted to sergeant. During those years he was a

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