Comments on: Frightening Toll of Iraq/Afghanistan Wars – Suicide Epidemic Verified… http://www.vietnamwardraftstories.com/blog/2007/11/14/frightening-toll-of-iraqafghanistan-wars-suicide-epidemic-verified/ Called To Serve: Stories of Men and Women Affected by the Vietnam Draft Thu, 09 Sep 2010 04:05:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Diane Clancy http://www.vietnamwardraftstories.com/blog/2007/11/14/frightening-toll-of-iraqafghanistan-wars-suicide-epidemic-verified/comment-page-1/#comment-228 Diane Clancy Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:37:52 +0000 http://www.vietnamwardraftstories.com/blog/2007/11/14/frightening-toll-of-iraqafghanistan-wars-suicide-epidemic-verified/#comment-228 Hi Tom, I worked at the VA hospital for a couple of years as a psych research assistant. It would have been from 1972 - 1974. (maybe 1971 too). I mainly worked alone - which was great for me. But every once in awhile I was asked to go do some kind of interview or maybe give a psych test to a recently returned vet. It broke my heart. One guy I met (for all I know he could have been the only one I worked with - I don't remember) just hurt so much. And I saw him on the street for years ... he used to say hi ... and then he forgot me. I haven't seen him in a long time. Clearly his life was devastated by the war ... and I have met so many other vets whose lives were so derailed. Not all - I know others who seemed to do better or who recovered. It all makes me sad. ~ Diane Clancy <a title="www.dianeclancy.com/blog" href="http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog" rel="nofollow">www.dianeclancy.com/blog</a> Hi Tom,

I worked at the VA hospital for a couple of years as a psych research assistant. It would have been from 1972 – 1974. (maybe 1971 too). I mainly worked alone – which was great for me. But every once in awhile I was asked to go do some kind of interview or maybe give a psych test to a recently returned vet.

It broke my heart. One guy I met (for all I know he could have been the only one I worked with – I don’t remember) just hurt so much. And I saw him on the street for years … he used to say hi … and then he forgot me. I haven’t seen him in a long time.

Clearly his life was devastated by the war … and I have met so many other vets whose lives were so derailed. Not all – I know others who seemed to do better or who recovered. It all makes me sad.

~ Diane Clancy
http://www.dianeclancy.com/blog

]]> By: Sarah Buttenwieser http://www.vietnamwardraftstories.com/blog/2007/11/14/frightening-toll-of-iraqafghanistan-wars-suicide-epidemic-verified/comment-page-1/#comment-215 Sarah Buttenwieser Thu, 15 Nov 2007 11:53:12 +0000 http://www.vietnamwardraftstories.com/blog/2007/11/14/frightening-toll-of-iraqafghanistan-wars-suicide-epidemic-verified/#comment-215 The idea that anyone can return from war unscathed is pretty obviously one debunked here. Devastating. I keep thinking that as a nation we have the party line about supporting the troops not the war down pretty well (learned from the past maybe?) but am stunned that the rights of vets--alarming numbers homeless too already--aren't more front & center in the national conversation about this war. We owe these men & women & their families so much better. The idea that anyone can return from war unscathed is pretty obviously one debunked here. Devastating. I keep thinking that as a nation we have the party line about supporting the troops not the war down pretty well (learned from the past maybe?) but am stunned that the rights of vets–alarming numbers homeless too already–aren’t more front & center in the national conversation about this war. We owe these men & women & their families so much better.

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