Dying Vietnam Veteran Last Wish To Help Other Veterans Heal PTSD

Vietnam veteran urges soldiers returning from Middle East to seek support for PTSD
Lake County Journal
By ANGELA SYKORA
Oct. 19, 2015

“The thing is, the PTSD worked against me. It made me less of a person than I could’ve been,” Patrick “Mickey” Hacke

ZION – Vietnam veteran Patrick “Mickey” Hacke has struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for most of his life. Combat impacted everything from his jobs to his relationships.

Now 67, Patrick has terminal cancer and is in hospice care at his brother’s home in Zion.

He doesn’t know how much time he has left, but he wanted an opportunity to leave a message of understanding and support for the soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, hoping they’ll seek the help they need to lead full lives.

Though he is bed-ridden and has trouble speaking, Patrick’s mind remains sharp, said his caregivers, including longtime personal caregiver David Pasieka, Gentiva hospice nurses David Cheesman and Michael Harnishfeger, and Chaplain Cheri Tuccy.

When he hears about soldiers coming home, Patrick feels concerned for their long-term mental and emotional well being.

“If I could talk to the young guys, I would feel so good,” said Patrick, who grew up in Waukegan and enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17.

A sergeant, Patrick served one tour of duty, fighting on the front lines. At one time, he was trapped in a tunnel for days. He also captured 37 enemy prisoners and was awarded the Purple Heart.

When Patrick came home, it wasn’t with the hero’s welcome that today’s soldiers experience.

“I was treated bad and I didn’t understand why,” he said.

Patrick tried to resume a normal life, becoming a North Chicago police officer. He lasted just a year, due to his PTSD.
read more here