Veterans help veterans readjust to civilian life

Veterans help veterans readjust to civilian life
Posted online: February 23, 2008 11:43 PM
Print publication date: 2/24/2008

By Brandy Donaldson , bdonaldson@qconline.com

Many veterans agree that readjusting to civilian life after serving in a foreign land can be like a brand new battle.

Davenport native Jim Gall was 18 when he was drafted into the Army and thrust into combat in Vietnam. Davenport's Wayne Hogard entered the Navy as a teenager during the Korean War. The plight of today's soldier is much the same as it was when they served, and, fortunately, there's more support available for those who need it, they said.

"I didn't have any trouble, but I'm sure there were some who experienced combat who had trouble readjusting after Korea. There's some who still experience that to this day," said Mr. Hogard, who, as an aviation electrician, never entered combat.

"Many boys come back today and don't really have the education they need about their own physical or mental health."

According to a recent Army study, an all-time high 121 active-duty soldiers committed suicide and at least 2,100 injured themselves or attempted suicide last year. The Department of Veterans Affairs reported 144 veterans committed suicide between 2001 and 2005, and thousands more suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

"I would imagine the high suicide rate is a result of boys not being treated when they get home and no one recognizing they're having problems," Mr. Hogard said.

Indicators of PTSD include incessant fear, hopelessness, isolation, memory loss, difficulty sleeping and concentrating, nightmares, flashbacks, erratic emotions, uncontrollable anger, paranoia, unexplainable outbursts and other symptoms.

Most troops can't recognize these things in themselves and those who do may have a difficult time admitting it, said Ron Milburn, junior vice commander at VFW Post 9128 in Bettendorf. He served in the Marines and Navy during peacetime. He later joined the National Guard and was sent to Iraq in 2003.
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