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Tiger football games help veterans ‘just trust the moments’

By , Daily Memphian Updated: January 04, 2026 9:05 PM CT | Published: November 11, 2025 1:09 PM CT

Immersing himself back into society after 13 years in the Army wasn’t easy for 42-year-old Christopher Shankle.

Shankle, whose time in the service includes a deployment to Iraq, medically retired because of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) about five months ago.


Calkins: How the clock struck midnight on the Memphis Tiger football season


Shankle shied away from crowds and hardly ever left the house.

“I isolated a lot,” he said.

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Frank Bonner II

Frank Bonner II

Frank Bonner is the Memphis Tigers football beat writer. He is originally from Indiana but arrived in Memphis after spending two years in Tulsa, covering Oklahoma State football and basketball. He covered high school sports in Columbus, Indiana for two years before getting his Master’s degree in Sports Journalism at IUPUI. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University.


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