My Recovery Journey as a Veteran

From 1962 until 1966, I served in the Navy as a Medical Corpsman. During this time period, I was attached to both First and Third Reconnaissance Battalion in Vietnam and was decorated with a Navy Commendation Medal with a combat V. I was always brave and strong and conducted myself well. During my time in combat, I experienced a complete and total breakdown trying to save the life of a wounded North Vietnamese soldier. I understood his humanity and that he was just like me. My experience with this trauma affected my life and I began to fall apart and drifted into psychosis and exhaustion. Back at our base camp, I was evacuated from Vietnam as a psychiatric casualty and eventually was sent to the U.S. Navy hospital in Oakland, California. Overtime, I wandered about homeless and was vulnerable to people who wanted to get me drunk and high. Eventually, I went to live in New Mexico and became involved with the Veterans Affairs (VA) to get a place to live. My VA benefits kept me from drifting into homelessness and I was able to do some janitor work and pass out advertising pamphlets to help supplement my income. I have never denounced the mental health system and my care to prove that I am independent. My life as a recipient of VA services and provider of services has been rewarding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)