Vietnam vet devoted post-military career to helping PTSD sufferers
By NATALIE JORDAN, The Daily News, njordan@bgdailynews.com
Saturday, July 3, 2010 11:15 PM CDT
PTSD, Grady Pratt said, wasn’t recognized as a disorder until the 1980s. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 830,000 Vietnam War veterans suffered symptoms of PTSD.
“For 43 years, he’s been dealing with this,” Waldean Pratt said. “He’s still fighting it.”
Grady Pratt, lying in a bed at Greenview Regional Hospital, looked out the large window to his right. He then gazed at his wife before turning to a candy-filled bucket that read “You Are a Hero” around the rim.
“People’s attitudes towards veterans is changing,” said Pratt, a veteran of the Vietnam War who served from 1967 to 1970.
The July 4 commemoration of the United States’ independence is often celebrated with food, music and fireworks. But for veterans such as Pratt, today represents more than just barbecue and pyrotechnics - it’s a time for all Americans to remember the reasons behind the holiday: freedom and patriotism.
“People know more about war than they used to, so they’re more appreciative of soldiers now,” Pratt said in an interview last week. “They say thanks for our service now.”
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http://bgdailynews.com/articles/2010/07/04/news/news1.txt
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