As we said on this board - Iraq has turned out almost exactly as did Vietnam. History repeats.

We need to immediately address PTSD in far more effective ways though, than we did during Vietnam.

I think it is the responsibility of the sponsors of the war, Exxon Mobil, BP, Halliburton, etc. to shoulder the cost of rehabilitation of the PTSD victims. Theses guys fought the war for their behalf, they must show gratitude.

Unless, of course, the aforementioned companies are completely evil....

The link (from Randi's homework):

http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/l...0,1788121.story

Adam, as usual you're spot on. PTSD is common among civilians too, and no one seems to care. When I had my accident, and self amputated parts of me, I was a wreck, and 13 years later, I still wake up screaming some days. I have phantom pain almost every day, and it is a constant reminder of that fateful morning. So for us to ignore the effects on our veterans is disgraceful, and it doesn't surprise me that shrub losers would try to cover it up, just like VN. Rambo had it, so why not take it seriously? BTW, First Blood was based on a real VN veteran, as told by his father, I shit you not.

Tap - very sorry about your experience, and YES, PTSD is ignored.

I have a much older cousin who served in Vietnam. He was badly wounded (twice) and has never truly returned. He has lived for most of the time, after he returned, in a remote Mennonite Community in Montana and this seems to have helped him.

Adam, thanks a lot, I feel for your cousin, it seems to be am illness that those that don't have it can't understand. I worked with a guy who lost his leg from the knee down at 13, due to a dirtbike accident. He would laugh off PTSD, for a while, until I told him about my experience, (I wasn't an amputee when I worked with him), and he suddenly opened up to me. This was a real tough SOB, and he took me by surprise, be he also suffered. So it was comforting to know I wasn't alone. The worst part about it is I did it to myself, and as someone who likes to think he's in control and "perfect" for any situation, the guilt will drive you crazy, and the self inflicted shame of knowing you did it to yourself. It's a day to day process to get over it. I hope your cousin is doing well, at least he didn't do it to himself, that's all I can think of.

Let's face it, America will never be the same. We were a proud Nation that supposedly learned from its mistakes. Instead of learning from Vietnam, we injected it with the Third Reich. The soldiers got a raw deal, and we should support them on their return to civilization. Perhaps when they get back, they can remind us all that they were fighting for freedom, not the "Patriot Act".

My husband's best buddy was a brilliant guy. I mean, really, really smart.

He enlisted and because of his high I.Q. (and whatever other tests they gave him) he ended up having a very high security clearance. He would never exactly say what he did in Viet Nam once he returned but whatever it was turned him inside out.

For years his PTSD was so bad that he'd flatten himself out on the sidewalk if a car backfired. He couldn't carry on a conversation for more than a minute at a time, and became a serial dater.... girls wouldn't go out with him more than twice.

I heard it from everyone who knew him...."John didn't come back - this is someone I don't know."

He's better now. Still weird, but much better.

It took 40 years for him to put his life back together.

Twinkletoes-- I have friends from the first Sadaam snafu, and they also suffer, one watched as our Blackhawk choppers shot to pieces a convoy of civilians trying to flee the war, cut them to shreds, and no one ever heard of it, but I saw the pictures, and they were bad. PTSD can happen to anyone, a car crash victim, or a robbery victim, and we ignore it as if they don't have the mettle. Such BS. When I looked down and saw what I had done to myself, and the splurting blood, and missing fingers, the confusion set in, my Marine buddy screaming as he ran to me, it's something else. This has to be addressed as adults should address it. My own mother tells me to 'get over it', a former nurse, and this is her response. We have lot's of work to do...

Why is it so difficult for people to understand what a serious issue this is???!!!!!! Is our collective guilt so deep that we can't bear to acknowledge it?

I'm just relieved that our friend didn't become a police officer after he returned (as so many vets do). He's the LAST person I'd want patrolling my street with a loaded weapon!

Couldn't agree more. Good post.

WORD TO THIS THREAD

Veterans for Peace

IAVA: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

PTSD Meetup Groups

BroD--So thoughtful, thanks. It is not easy to live with, in any stretch of the word live. I'm glad I'm not alone, but sometimes it just feels that way. I have a couple of friends who if anything help my family understand better than I can. I challenge anyone to wake up screaming for 13 years and say "It's all good" My own uncle Bob suffered from WWII, and we used to talk all the time, he died 3 months ago, so now there's one less, but I'll be ok, I have the best wife EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!