The Middle Eastern Wars PTSD and the War Wounded
Hi. Have been having a very weird (to say the least) couple of days. I'm in the middle of this worldwide debate about 9/11 and our foreign policy, wars, government incompassion, etc...
While on the homefront, I am separated from my husband of 24 years for the last year. On the marriage side, I feel I am at the point of no return. My husband has been having a difficult time dealing with recently diagnosed PTSD resulting from combat in Vietnam. (Although he is also a Desert Storm vet, his condition was pre-existing when he participated in that conflict. It was undiagnosed) Our marital problems have nothing to do with his PTSD. THAT I can deal with. At any rate, all that is irrelevant to this post
Hubby looks scary, sounds scarier. Not a real big guy, average size. He's Mexican American. Was with the marines in Vietnam, 1st MAW 13/13 and then 18/18. Got to Vietnam in late 1969 and stayed to the spring of 1971. I hope I don't have to tell anybody that he probably saw some pretty ugly shit during this time.
Back to now. He left from where he was staying about a month ago to enter this program. He and I have been having a tough time, plus the way the world is, he's pretty messed up. So he's in the middle of this program. He's actually a pretty compassionate person under the surface. He's a teddy bear. When he's angry or feels threatened, he turns into something else. He does it calmly though. He tells people what he can do and how he could easily do it to them. His voice is low...almost sinister. His eyes reveal an emptiness that makes those who are close enough to look inside afraid that this soulless creature may indeed be capable of such atrocities. (I know the man, he probably is capable, but is intelligent enough to know that in this case, there would be consequences)
First week in the program, he meets everybody, sizes them up as anyone would do in his position as "the new guy," and concludes afterwards that he's dealing with one or two who have judged him by his skin color. (think that immigration issue has anything to do with it? i dunno...plain old racism, if you ask me...but that's for another topic) As it were, they called a meeting to decide if my husband should be allowed to continue in the program. The psychiatrist got rattled and turned him out.
Is this any way to treat our war wounded? I realize that you are not getting the full picture, but trust me...from this end, as I know this person better than his own mother does, it was unfair of them not to let him continue. He knows stuff. He can help people. (he's been employed in the past as a counselor) All he wanted when he went there was a place to be with people like him who understand what he's going through. A place to put his weary head. Instead he encountered ignorance, prejudice and fear. God bless America.
He said there were zero vets from the middle eastern wars participating in the program. He said they do not segregate them, but there were none there while he's been there for the last month or so. Where are these guys? How are they doing? Do any of you know any? I hope they're ok...that's all I wanted to say.
While on the homefront, I am separated from my husband of 24 years for the last year. On the marriage side, I feel I am at the point of no return. My husband has been having a difficult time dealing with recently diagnosed PTSD resulting from combat in Vietnam. (Although he is also a Desert Storm vet, his condition was pre-existing when he participated in that conflict. It was undiagnosed) Our marital problems have nothing to do with his PTSD. THAT I can deal with. At any rate, all that is irrelevant to this post
Hubby looks scary, sounds scarier. Not a real big guy, average size. He's Mexican American. Was with the marines in Vietnam, 1st MAW 13/13 and then 18/18. Got to Vietnam in late 1969 and stayed to the spring of 1971. I hope I don't have to tell anybody that he probably saw some pretty ugly shit during this time.
Back to now. He left from where he was staying about a month ago to enter this program. He and I have been having a tough time, plus the way the world is, he's pretty messed up. So he's in the middle of this program. He's actually a pretty compassionate person under the surface. He's a teddy bear. When he's angry or feels threatened, he turns into something else. He does it calmly though. He tells people what he can do and how he could easily do it to them. His voice is low...almost sinister. His eyes reveal an emptiness that makes those who are close enough to look inside afraid that this soulless creature may indeed be capable of such atrocities. (I know the man, he probably is capable, but is intelligent enough to know that in this case, there would be consequences)
First week in the program, he meets everybody, sizes them up as anyone would do in his position as "the new guy," and concludes afterwards that he's dealing with one or two who have judged him by his skin color. (think that immigration issue has anything to do with it? i dunno...plain old racism, if you ask me...but that's for another topic) As it were, they called a meeting to decide if my husband should be allowed to continue in the program. The psychiatrist got rattled and turned him out.
Is this any way to treat our war wounded? I realize that you are not getting the full picture, but trust me...from this end, as I know this person better than his own mother does, it was unfair of them not to let him continue. He knows stuff. He can help people. (he's been employed in the past as a counselor) All he wanted when he went there was a place to be with people like him who understand what he's going through. A place to put his weary head. Instead he encountered ignorance, prejudice and fear. God bless America.
He said there were zero vets from the middle eastern wars participating in the program. He said they do not segregate them, but there were none there while he's been there for the last month or so. Where are these guys? How are they doing? Do any of you know any? I hope they're ok...that's all I wanted to say.
posted by Accidental Antagonist @ 10:36 AM
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