Each book and resource is carefully chosen. The selection includes veteran and first responder stories, experiential, and scientific evidence-based information that tells the truth about trauma, survival, service, and the stubborn human capacity to keep going.
Viktor E. Frankl
The foundational text of logotherapy — Frankl's account of surviving the Holocaust and discovering that meaning, not pleasure or power, is the primary human motivation. One of the most influential books of the 20th century.
Bessel van der Kolk, MD
A landmark work on trauma and the body — how traumatic experiences reshape the brain, mind, and body, and the innovative treatments that can help survivors reclaim their lives. Van der Kolk's foundational research with Vietnam veterans is also cited in a 2023 article on narrative-poetic medicine and veterans, which explores how poetry can reach places other interventions cannot.
Steven M. Southwick, MD & Dennis S. Charney, MD
The groundbreaking first edition — the first scientifically evidence-based research on resilience ever published. Southwick and Charney drew on decades of rigorous study and clinical work with veterans, POWs, Special Forces soldiers, and trauma survivors to identify ten key resilience factors. Practical, honest, and deeply human. A foundational text that changed how science understands the human capacity to endure.
Steven M. Southwick, MD & Dennis S. Charney, MD
The landmark second edition — updated and expanded in the wake of 9/11 and its aftermath. Drawing on interviews with POWs, Special Forces soldiers, and trauma survivors, Southwick and Charney deepened their identification of ten key resilience factors to reflect a nation grappling with collective trauma. Practical, honest, and deeply human.
Steven M. Southwick, MD, Dennis S. Charney, MD & Jonathan M. DePierro, PhD
The fully revised and expanded third edition — updated to address collective trauma in a post-pandemic world, with new research on frontline healthcare responders during COVID-19 and the unique resilience demands they faced. Co-authored with Jonathan DePierro, whose work with first responders and healthcare workers deepened the science. Drawing on interviews with POWs, Special Forces soldiers, trauma survivors, and pandemic frontline workers to identify what resilience truly requires. Essential for clinicians, veterans, and anyone committed to understanding human endurance.
Ron Farina
A tribute to the men and women who served — Toratti's meticulous documentation of veteran stories preserves voices that might otherwise be lost, honoring service across generations.
Milton A. Toratti
Toratti's account of the search for closure after 9/11 — a deeply personal and historically grounded work that honors the first responders and families who carried the weight of that day.
Ron Farina
A Vietnam veteran's memoir of faith, survival, and the long road home — written with the honesty and grace of someone who has truly wrestled with what war leaves behind.
Daniel M. Eddinger
A Vietnam veteran's story told with unflinching honesty — the combat, the homecoming, and the decades of living with what war does to a man. Eddinger earned the Purple Heart twice and the Silver Star.
Milton A. Toratti
The untold story of soldiers who served in secret — abandoned by the system that sent them, but never forgotten by those who knew them. Toratti brings the same meticulous care and deep respect for service that defines his work preserving veteran voices.
Dr. Matthew Kelsey, Psy.D.
A psychologist and veteran's guide to healing the invisible wounds of war — written for veterans, families, and clinicians navigating the long aftermath of combat trauma.
Milton A. Toratti
The concluding volume in Ron Farina's trilogy honoring those who gave everything in service — a testament to sacrifice, memory, and the duty of the living to remember.
A curated collection on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website dedicated to books written by women veterans — stories of service, resilience, and life after the military.
Organizations offering real community, peer support, and resources for those navigating grief and loss.
A practical SAMHSA guide on supporting people through grief and loss — covering what grief looks like, how to help someone who is grieving, and when to seek professional care. Download and keep it.
Download PDFA national nonprofit empowering widows to move from surviving to thriving — through community, education, and peer support. Offers local chapters, online groups, and resources for women navigating life after loss.
Visit websiteReal Resources · Veteran-Managed
A resource page built by and for Connecticut veterans — maintained by the community it serves.
A comprehensive guide to resources for Connecticut veterans — covering services, support organizations, events, and community connections across the state.
Real Resources · Government & Federal
Official government resources available to veterans and their families.
The official VA website — your gateway to VA health care, benefits, mental health services, disability compensation, education, housing assistance, and more. Everything the VA offers is here.
The VA's dedicated resource for women veterans — covering health care services, mental health support, military sexual trauma resources, maternity care, and more tailored to women's needs.
