Veterans are home, but not at ease

Veterans are home, but not at ease
Civilian life tough for many, and help can feel elusive
12:00 AM CST on Sunday, November 11, 2007
By JAMES HOHMANN / The Dallas Morning News
jhohmann@dallasnews.com

Daniel Bozorgnia was honorably discharged from the Army in 2006 after his convoy blew up in Iraq. The blast slammed him to the ground, but adrenaline kept him going until days later, when the back pain became unbearable. Though offered a desk job, he wanted out if he couldn't be on the front lines.


He was happy to be home in Grand Prairie with his wife and two daughters, but that's when the nightmares began. The former squad leader would fall asleep and find himself back in Iraq – wounded, stranded and dying.

The tension spilled into his daytime routine. "When you go into crowded areas, people come up to you. You push 'em back," he said. "People back here don't respect your bubble. You can hear them breathing."

With his frustration boiling into rage and his marriage at risk, he went to the Dallas Veterans Affairs hospital and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Now he's getting help.
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