No holiday can repair tracks of war (Vietnamization of Iraq vets)

The Oregonian ^ | May 30, 2005 | Andy Parker

[crazyhorse691]

J eremiah Hansen and Jacob Simpson chose similar paths.

Sturdy guys who enjoyed the physical side of life growing up, they both enlisted while in their teens. Hansen, whose parents live in Redland, chose the Marines. Hood River native Simpson, who has family in Lake Oswego and Milwaukie, chose the Army.

Both served two tours of combat duty in Iraq.

Last month, Hansen was discharged after twice being wounded by grenades. He still feels numbness and tingling from the dozens of shrapnel pieces scattered in his lower right leg and ankle.

But he's fine, he says. There's no pain. He walks fine. He's moving on with his life.

Saturday he's getting married to Adrianna Adrito, a 19-year-old Portland woman he met online during his long hours of down time in Iraq.

Sgt. Simpson never made it back to Oregon. He was killed two weeks ago today by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade. Friday afternoon, he became the 21st American soldier killed in Iraq to be buried at Willamette National Cemetery.

I don't know about you, but for me, with each passing year, Memorial Day reflections on the cost of war somehow seem inadequate.

As the shadow of the war spreads here at home, we're just beginning to see the trickle of returning vets who find themselves dangling somewhere between the fates of Simpson and Hansen. They're the ones who made it back alive, but found no jobs, no home, no reason to hope.

So the long, lonely walk on the fringe begins, their struggles tangled in fear, depression or mental illness often fueled by drug and alcohol abuse that somehow provides the excuse many Americans need to simply look the other way.

Here in Clackamas County, where we enjoy the lowest level of poverty in the state, there are dozens and dozens if not hundreds of homeless veterans, a recent survey suggests.

Nationwide, as many as half a million vets struggle with homelessness every year, half of them wrestling with substance abuse, well over a third suffering from mental illness.

For many vets, the mental scars of battlefield horrors stick around long after other wounds have healed. Already in Clackamas County, social workers are seeing the first wave of soldiers returning with symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Hansen says he's experienced no mental backlash from the war. So far. It's not that he expects to be overtaken by memories of close buddies getting killed or the brutal house-to-house fighting in Fallujah. But he's smart enough to know the cloud of war hovers forever.

Already he's heard from a couple of members of his platoon who, since returning from Iraq, have struggled unsuccessfully to unhinge their minds from the terror of combat.

Hansen knows he's been lucky. He and his fiancee have made a temporary home in the basement of her parents' house about a dozen blocks east of Interstate 205. They share the small ranch house with her parents, three siblings and three dogs.

Hansen's working hard at his new job at an electroplating business, watching his wedding date rush toward him.

Just as for many returning warriors in this country's past, his experience in a war zone sent life spiraling into fast-forward for Hansen. Some people, he says, think he's getting married too soon, that he needs to slow the pace to gather his breath.

He understands their position. He's not sure they understand his.

His choices made perfect sense to me Friday afternoon as I stood at Willamette National staring at the flag-draped casket holding Jacob Simpson's body.

As the final notes of "Amazing Grace" floated away from a single bagpiper, family and friends wiped away tears and comforted each other.

And the air was again filled with the distant hum of holiday traffic hurtling down the interstate.

Andy Parker's columns appear Mondays and Wednesdays. Contact him at 503-294-5945 or at daparker@news.oregonian.com. His columns and other local columnists of The Oregonian can be found online at www.oregonlive.com/columnists

[crazyhorse691]

This just really ticked me off when I saw this. Typical antiwar sleaze full of generalities and illogic wrapped in a tight hug of emotion.

[SteveMcKing]

For many vets, the mental scars of battlefield horrors stick around long after other wounds have healed. Already in Clackamas County, social workers are seeing the first wave of soldiers returning with symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

Those poor, pathetic people. What can we do to help these social workers get better?

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

One thing that all of these subtle lefty hit-pieces have in common......the Vets and GI's they are written around are always presented as victims or perpetrators.....then of course there comes the "PTSD" crap to put the general public on edge, which enhances the perp/victim stuff.

SOS, been there, done that....BOHICA! Hell of a way to "support the troops" and "thank them for their service", ain't it?

[T Lady]

To the Left, every war is Vietnam, and all Republican administrations cause homelessness and poverty...just connect the dots.

*Barf*

-Regards, T.

[alpha-8-25-02]

I SHOULD NOT OF READ THIS!

GODBLESS OUR VETERANS!

[Gritty]

...we're just beginning to see the trickle of returning vets who find themselves dangling somewhere between the fates of Simpson and Hansen. They're the ones who made it back alive, but found no jobs, no home, no reason to hope.

So the long, lonely walk on the fringe begins, their struggles tangled in fear, depression or mental illness often fueled by drug and alcohol abuse that somehow provides the excuse many Americans need to simply look the other way.

Here in Clackamas County... there are dozens and dozens if not hundreds of homeless veterans...

Nationwide, as many as half a million vets struggle with homelessness every year, half of them wrestling with substance abuse, well over a third suffering from mental illness...

[amosmoses]

War does cause hardship and tragedy. We shouldnt take it lightly.

[End Times Sentinel]

So the long, lonely walk on the fringe begins, their struggles tangled in fear, depression or mental illness often fueled by drug and alcohol abuse that somehow provides the excuse many Americans [read: democrats] need to simply look the other way.

 

I can't wait for the Dan Rather "The Wall Within, Iraq War" special!  Our vets are little more than ticking time bombs and what better day to smear 'em on than Memorial Day!

Owl_Eagle

(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,

 it was probably sarcasm)

[CasearianDaoist]

This is the second one of these attempts to dredge back up the "violent, unstable Combat Vet SYndrome," that I have seen this weekend. There is another one somewhere on FR from a SanSiego paper.

And on Memorial Day too. These people have no shame whatsoever.

Utterly comtemplable. I cannot express my disgust with this pack of back stabbing traitors.

[stm]

There are wounds not caused by bullets and shrapnel and they are just as bad if not worse. As anyone that has been in real combat (not a REMF cook or admin type) will tell you.

I'm here to tell you PTSD is not crap, it's real. I spent 14 months in Iraq in an infantry unit. I saw my share of firefights and am here to write this because the AK-47 bullet headed for my heart was stopped by the ceramic plate in my vest. I saw more than my share of dead Iraqis (many of whom I made that way) and dead Americans. Young and old. Black and white. Even male and female.

I still do not sleep through the night, waking up at 0300 every morning, unable to go back to sleep. The nightmares of firefights have finally gone away but the sleeplessness remains. I have talked with vets at the VA but this is something that will eventually pass.

You're usename portrays you as a Vietnam survivor. If you have never experienced any of these things, they you are in serious denial or you were in the rear with the gear in a nice safe cushy place.

[blu]

Here in Clackamas County, where we enjoy the lowest level of poverty in the state, there are dozens and dozens if not hundredsof homeless veterans, a recent survey suggests

In other words, "I don't really know how many vets we have, but I'm pretty sure there's at least 24."

Were the survey questions so ambiguous that the answers could be spun any way the writer chooses?

The writer has a great example of a returning vet, and then tries to paint him as a borderline homeless using faulty assumptions. What a crock!

[T Lady]

I don't take these things lightly, however you never saw this kind of stuff printed whenever there was a Democrat in office...specifically the last Democrat occupant. It's rather strange that when Bill Clinton took office, all of the homeless suddenly disappeared from the streets, and the veterans had no problems.

...It's only when a Republican president occupies the Oval Office the Media takes a sudden interest in these issues. As if Republicans are to blame for all of our social ills.

-Regards, T.

[SuzyQue]

This really ticks me off as the widow of a Vietnam vet. And, as a reasonable person. These "studies" that are used to come up with numbers of homeless vets rely on the word of "homeless"* people as to their vet status. And, saying that they are poor, forgotten, mistreated vets who turned to their life on the streets because of the horrible experience they had serving their country is much easier for them to say instead of taking responsibility for their situation. Most of them are not vets, and the few who are may or may not have seen combat. This is a scurilous slander against the men and women who served honorably in Vietnam.


*(homelessness is hardly their problem; bad decisions, substance abuse and mental health problems are what causes their homelessness)

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

actually, your post just serves the writers purpose nicely. All you left out is whether you feel like a victim or perp.

If you guys let them do this AGAIN, you will never be free of it. btw, don't "remf" on me!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1411112/posts?page=182#182

[stm]

I feel like neither, I deal with it. But that does not mean it is not there. I have a good job and a very supportive family. But anyone that says that PTSD is crap is either in serious denial or they were never in a situation where their life could end at any minute.

[MikefromOhio]

War does cause hardship and tragedy. We shouldnt take it lightly.

They do. However, comparing Iraq to Vietnam is not only illogical, but it ignores several basic basic basic facts about the situation.

[Nam Vet]

If you change the date of the article, this is the exact cr*p that was heaped on us in steaming piles during Vietnam. Needless to say, all of that has been proven to be total lies. You have some idea of the lies and distortions a Conservative must bear living in this hellhole called Portland.

The amount of laughs and wide grins I got during the election season with my "Swift Boat Vet For Bush" bumper/window stickers will give me pleasure for the rest of my days. You could just see the seething hate and anger by the reactions of the local enemy.

Nam Vet

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Well, since this leftist liberal rag cares so much for our returning veterans then they should make a hefty donation of their profits to the DAV. But, they won't. They like to use these veterans as posterboys for their anti-American spew that they have been serving since Vietnam. Shame on this journalist for exploiting and using the veterans for this purpose.

[Vn_survivor_67-68]

you should read the last bit of the 1st paragraph of my originalpost again......this time more carefully and completely.

What did I say, exactly? Can you paraphrase it, keeping it in the context of my whole post?