'PTSD: Our moms were first to know

By CYNTHIA AUKERMAN

News-Gazette reporter

Speaking to H Troop Vietnam veterans about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Jim Linton said, "Our mothers were the first to know we had it, even when there was no name for it. They were the first to realize we weren't the same as we were before we went to Vietnam."

Looking out over his audience of aging veterans, Linton said, "Every one of you has PTSD, and over time it will get you down."

The divorce and suicide rate is "off the scale" for Vietnam veterans, Linton said. Some move from job to job, some from wife to wife, some from place-to-place.

"How many of us have the same issues?" Linton asked. Then he declared, "It's not a coincidence."

Most combat veterans are still in a form of denial, because denial feels safer than facing issues.

Linton, a service representative for Disabled Veterans of America, spoke about his personal battle with PTSD. He worked in a General Motors plant for 30 years, missing work often due to problems later traced to his Vietnam experience.

According to Linton, PTSD comes not just from what the veterans experienced in Vietnam, but what they experienced when they came home.

"When you went over there, you were normal. By the time you left there, you're afraid to go home, because at home the normal was still there. But we were carrying the abnormal with us, and we didn't know how to turn it back to the normal."

Known as "Wildman" to his fellow troopers, Linton said he found relief when he attended his first H Troop reunion in Missouri last year. He explained, "That was the first time I didn't feel guilty. My friends all made it back."

Linton said his goal was to get every H Trooper "cleansed" of that feeling of survivor's guilt, however he has to do it. He has located 100 H Troopers and united them through the website. The Troop, through its silent auction and raffle, raises money each year to bring to the reunion troopers who might not otherwise be able to go.

Turning to today's wars, Linton spoke about how Desert Storm affected him. He said, "Man, if we had smart bombs and GPS and all that stuff, we could go back and kick a--. It made me want to sign up."

From the audience came the cry, "What's this WE s---?" The veterans broke out in tension-relieving laughter.

Turning serious again, Linton spoke about veterans filing for benefits for PTSD. He said, "We're going to turn our torch over to the next generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. It's not just for us. They won't get what they're entitled to if we don't get it for them."

With today's warriors returning to the battlefields for second, third and even fourth tours, the strain on the Veterans Administration's mental health services is expected to increase greatly.

PTSD was recognized as a compensable service-connected condition by the Veterans Administration in 1980. Even veterans who have been home for 40 years or more are entitled to apply. Any veteran with a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart or a Combat Infantryman's Badge has certain pre-determined points.

A veteran may file a claim himself, but most people recommending getting help to navigate the Veterans Administration's procedures. Veterans are allowed to select a service officer from the American Legion, the VFW, the DAV or other organizations to represent them, and there is no charge for that service.

For more information, contact the Randolph County Veterans Affairs officer, Mike Kennedy at 584-1463.