From Fighting In Iraq To Homeless In San Diego

From Fighting In Iraq To Homeless In San Diego

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02-14-08 at 7:41PM

According to the Department of Defense, 130,000 troops have returned home after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. A growing number of those veterans are homeless. News 8's Dan Cohen has the story of one Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran who fought in Iraq, and also fought to get off the streets.

The 28-year-old former Marine and National Guardsman saw things in Iraq he doesn't want to remember.

"I know what being over there can do to a person," he said. "I didn't expect to deploy to Iraq with the National Guard, but that's the way it turned out."

He asked that his identity be concealed after a rough six months, with support and help he's turning his life around.

"I basically went from the war to trying to be a civilian," he said.

That didn't work out. He bounced from state to state, ending up in San Diego, on the streets.

"I guess because of my behavior and stuff when I got back I was kind of hard to be around," he said. "My family wanted me to get some help, they knew something wasn't quite right with me. It was hard for them to deal with."

Like so many other returning veterans, he didn't recognize the signs he needed help.

"I know when I got back I didn't want to be around anybody… the last thing I wanted to do was ask for help or any kind of program," he said.

In part because Iraqi veterans fear the stigma of having post-traumatic stress disorder.

"They may not know they have it, I guarantee it," the former Marine said. "Looking back, I know I was suffering from PTSD. My nerves were pretty raw and I was drinking a lot."
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