Despite the fact that tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans were neglected and often ostracized from society when they came home, many of them are nonetheless stepping up to help young veterans who are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological trauma.
Despite the generational differences, there is a kinship among all warriors, and it's inspiring to see Vietnam veterans helping this generation of vets ' even though so many Vietnam-era soldiers never got this kind of help. It shows an amazing compassion and remarkable lack of bitterness among a group that has earned the right to be bitter.
One example of the older vets helping the younger ones is ACVOW (American Combat Veterans of War), which is run by two Vietnam veterans, Bill Rider and Michael Sloan, who founded the organization before 9/11 to help their fellow veterans from all wars. A godsend to troops coming home with PTSD and without direction, ACVOW, located in San Diego County, is helping thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans make the transition to civilian life.
Another group of Vietnam veterans helping their younger fellow warriors is Band of Brothers. From the My Central Jersey blog, Anthony Gonzales writes about this brand new non-profit (not to be confused with the great HBO television series of the same name), which was created by Vietnam veteran Ed Collins because of his concern for people he considers his brothers in arms. According to Gonzales, Collins was deployed for 18 months from 1971 to 1972 and has been suffering from psycholgical issues ever since. Yet, only five years ago, he was diagnosed with PTSD.
Collins, who often talks about the fact that Gen. George S. Patton once slapped a soldier suffering from PTSD symptoms, sent him back to the frontlines and labeled him a coward, tells Gonzales:
Collins and his fellow organizers plan to start up small businesses to fund the organization, such as a landscaping service. For now, Collins and the members are visiting several veterans hospitals, bringing injured soldiers necessary materials, such as clothing and food. They also have opened their homes to all U.S. veterans who need their help.
