Helping veterans heal

Phil Tittle has had a lot of titles over the years. He's been an airman, a father, a husband, a friend, a veteran. Now he's added another descriptor to follow his name: guitar teacher.

Tittle, who has played guitar for the last 11 years, has taken his love of music and his aspiration to help his fellow veterans and used them to form the Pensacola chapter of Guitars for Vets.

Nationally, Guitars for Vets began in 2007 and was founded by a Vietnam War veteran. He researched the benefits of music therapy for suffers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and felt the same therapy could be used for vets with PTSD.

The program relies on volunteer teachers and donated used guitars in order to function. Vets come in for six weeks of private lessons, and then move on to a larger group setting. The group lessons also help vets connect with each other and form a larger support network among themselves.

Tittle had been doing research on starting a non-profit for veterans when he came across the national site for Guitars for Vets.

For more on this story, see the Sept. 29 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.