Television images of Americans fighting and dying in Iraq are traumatizing Vietnam veterans all over again.
by Eric Newhouse
Left, images like this one of the war in Iraq of a soldier holding a child who died as a result of a car bomb are causing PTSD to resurface in Vietnam Veterans.
According to the Veterans Administration, there’s been a 36 percent increase in the number of Vietnam vets seeking help for post-traumatic stress disorder since 2003.
“Even though they’re very patriotic guys, many of them are angry that we’re even in Iraq,” said Dr. Michael Mason of the Center for Mental Health.
The Great Falls-based agency treats as many as 500 Montana vets for PTSD, said Mason, and about half of them served in Vietnam.
Symptoms exhibited by those vets and soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan appear similar, he said.
“One of the biggest differences is that after ‘Nam, dislike of the war transferred to the vets,” said Mason…
Most have problems communicating, particularly with spouses, said Keli Remus of Chinook Winds Counseling, a local counselor specializing in PTSD.
“My average ‘Nam vet has been married three times,” said Remus. “I have one patient who’s been married six times.”
He said that he also sees other symptoms common to Vietnam vets.
“They’re mistrustful of authority and of government to a man,” said Remus. “I don’t have one who’s not.”
They also refuse to let others tell them what to do, which makes keeping a job difficult.
“Employment is a nightmare,” Remus said. “I have a guy who got out in ’69 and has had 37 jobs since.”
Vietnam vets make up about half the patient load for Christine Krupar, a veterans’ outreach counselor in Great Falls.
“And I’m still seeing ‘Nam vets come through the door who have never received treatment, who’ve never talked to anyone about their problems for the past 40 years,” she said.
But she doesn’t see that many new patients because she’s booked solid.
Vietnam vets are terrified their treatment will be terminated because the returning War on Terror vets will overwhelm the system, she said.
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