Vietnam Service – United States Army
“It’s been over 50 years and I am still fighting the Vietnam War. I was squad leader of a diverse group of younger men. For over a year we trained together playing war games in the mountains of Washington State. We became close like brothers. They were very impressed with my survival skills, being physically fit, being an Eagle Scout, and American Indian. They put me on a pedestal.
“Everything changed when we were in combat in North Vietnam near the DMZ. During TET, we were bombarded with rockets targeting us daily for months.
“I can still see clearly their faces as they were dying or already dead. Many or maybe all my ‘brothers’ didn’t survive.
“My Vietnam experience has left me with debilitating PTSD, mental, and physical pain, that endures today.”