Late Onset Ptsd Vietnam Vet

[Sarg]

You nailed it, Jimmy. When we Nam Vets got back, everybody hated us. Most notably the VA and they weren't just handing out disability comp. You didn't have any choice, you sucked it up and went to work. Either that or starve. As I have talked about before, a few years later, I started school and luck had there were a bunch of Nam Vets going to school with me. Actually, our bullshit sessions actually wound up being excellent therapy sessions.

We leaned on each other for support during crisis and became true brothers. Never would have made it through school without them and my wife.

Jar, where were you during Tet? We flew a bunch of hot loads into Khe Sanh when the NVA tried to wipe it off the map. "Mortar magnets" they called us, cause every time we landed, the NVA walked mortars right behind us the whole time we were on the ground. Got so hairy that they went to LAPES drops cause they didn't want to lose a Herk. To hell with us, save the Herk!!!

Ahhh, the good old days, NOT!

Sarg

 

[JarHed]

Hey Sarg

I was stationed outside of DaNang. We had a small rear area, if you'll excuse the expression, which we didn't really spend too much time in. Mostly patrols and convoy protection for supplies going to PhuBai. I was in a unit, the 27th Marines, that was activated from Pendleton to go over.

We were in what was called 'the rocket belt'. They'd send rockets that they humped down the HoChiMinh trail from around us. We got mortared a lot. I was a grunt squad leader, fun job.

It amazes me now to think about it. How a country that was so lush and beautiful could be so scary and dangerous. Yeah, the good ol' days.

Jar

 

[Anglesachse]

Welcome hrVietNam. better late than never i guess. took me 12 years after leaving the army to get diagnosed, so no worries mate. your in good hands here

 

[dave1]

Hello HR, denial is a powerful thing, it took thirty years for me to recognize it blinded me to the symptoms I couldn't control and my family suffered all those years. Thought I could/should just get on with life after coming home. No one wanted to listen to my distorted view of the world anyway. I didn't realize they couldn't identify with any of it and couldn't validate my feelings or understand the baggage we carried home from our glorious 365 day excursion in beatifull South Vietnam. Like many combat vets, what I wanted to talk about wasn't acceptable dinner table conversation. None of my friends had to do the tour either, so I figured if I bury the experiences deeply enough and deny they could bother me strongly enough - they wouldn't.

Our mind can really screw things up sometimes. I didn't realize the depth of alligence I had for those close to me, those who didn't make it home. As a point man, I was at least partly responsible for their deaths and connected that somehow with not allowing their memories to fade. It seemed that forgetting would dishonor all they had given. So, through all those years of denial, part of me was screeming to not forget.

All the injustices, life wasn't fair or precious, I couldn't change back to who I was before Vietnam, normal people didn't care what happened to us, life back home focused on every-man-for-himself, forget suffering with those around you. There was plenty of right and wrong on both sides of the war. It also seemed there were at least two opposite ways to succeed in life - one way at home versus servival in war. They seem to be mutually exclusive and could only co-exist in the mind of a soldier. It was very confusing for years. My crisis came a little over ten years ago. I had to start seeing things in perspective or I'd be totally lost. There are many of us somewhere along this road. Welcome to the journey.

 

[JarHed]

There are many of us somewhere along this road. Welcome to the journey.

Hey Dave

You summed it all up so well. I commend you for doing so. I could hear my own thoughts and feelings in the words you wrote. You're right, we're all on a long journey on a windy and bumpy road. One thing, though, at least we don't have to be there alone.

Semper Fi

JarHed Hco. 2/27

 

[Sarg]

Hey Sarg

I was stationed outside of DaNang. We had a small rear area, if you'll excuse the expression, which we didn't really spend too much time in. Mostly patrols and convoy protection for supplies going to PhuBai. I was in a unit, the 27th Marines, that was activated from Pendleton to go over.

We were in what was called 'the rocket belt'. They'd send rockets that they humped down the HoChiMinh trail from around us. We got mortared a lot. I was a grunt squad leader, fun job.

It amazes me now to think about it. How a country that was so lush and beautiful could be so scary and dangerous. Yeah, the good ol' days.

Jar

Sorry, Jar, I didn't see your response until today. Yeah, we landed at Da Nang one night and I lowered the ramp and all I could see was tracers going every damn direction. About the same time the Aircraft Commander saw all that shit and we closed up and di di maued the hell out of there. No clearance, no nothing but boogie out.

Sarg