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From: Jim McClure
Date: 16 Oct 2007
Time: 19:13:02 -0500
Remote Name: 68.42.39.209
When I was young, I hid my stuttering through avoidance behaviors. Had I disclosed my stuttering I probably would not have been admitted to officer training. The military is a difficult place for people who stutter because lives may depend on rapid oral communication, using specific terms that you cannot substitute. I had some tense moments at sea when I had to give an order before the ship collided or ran aground. My stuttering was not severe, and the fact that I could not avoid speaking situations helped me face my stuttering and eventually do something about it. I had an epiphany of sorts in Vietnam. I was preparing to lead a boarding party and all I could think about was whether I might stutter. As I loaded my pistol, it occurred to me that I had more important things to worry about than stuttering. As a senior officer, it was amusing to watch people trying NOT to react to my stuttering.