Veteran Reacts to Lawsuit Against VA

Local Veteran Reacts to Lawsuit Against VA

By: Ashley Ritchie

The lawsuit, filed by two non-profit agencies representing military veterans, comes in the midst of a recent study that finds one in five U.S. soldiers currently suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

It's an illness, which until the early 80's, didn't get much attention, but affects thousands; especially veterans.

And for one Fresno man, it nearly cost him his life.

Jim Doyle was just 19 when he set off to fight in the Vietnam War.

"I lost a lot of good buddies in Vietnam, had one of them die in my arms, watched people get blown up and lose limbs," Doyle said.

He came home in 1970. But his life was anything but the way he left it.

"Went on for almost 20 years, having problems with drinking, abusing alcohol and relationships were tenuous at best," Doyle said.

It wasn't until the early 90's when images from the first Iraq War infiltrated TV that Doyle's disease raged out of control.

"It really affected me dramatically because I could see the body bags and I could smell the smell of death again," he said.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can come upon in the throws of combat or even years after," Carolyn Hughes with the Veterans Hospital, said.

It's common for thousands of veterans, feelings of depression, suicide, anger and isolation often a direct result of war.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is real. It's not phony. It's not people looking for an easy way out," Doyle said.
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