War Veterans Suffer in Silence

War Veterans Suffer in Silence

Updated: April 9, 2008 06:49 PM EDT

Many War Veterans Suffer in Silence

Iraqi vets with 2-tours, like Stephanie Breaux, are 50 percent more likely to suffer from acute combat stress. That's according a study by the U.S. Army. Breaux is the woman just identified as the murder victim inside a Sheveport home.


That Army study also shows 1- in 8 returning vets suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, commonly known as PTSD. Those figures strongly suggest that many returning soldiers suffer in silence. "The other night I had a helicopter come over the house and I just, I woke up, woke up sweating," described 24-year old Johnie Gamble.


We met Gamble during a visit to the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center off Stoner Avenue in Shreveport. Gamble's case of PTSD is all-too-common as Loretta Leavitt explained. As a licensed, clinical social worker with Overton Brooks, Leavitt gave us her 'gut feeling' on the percentage of combat veterans she sees who suffer some form of post-traumatic stress: "Into the nineties; ninety, ninety percent."


Official figures for PTSD may be far less, but Leavitt sees many vets struggling every day. She continued, "sleeping problem is the biggest issue with this population." "Pervasive is probably the word I would use," said VA psychiatrist Dr. Dean Robinson, in describing the number of PTSD cases.


"And what I'm particularly worried about is their families," especially said Dr. Robinson, for guard and reserve members. Unlike active duty military, they don't have the same comprehensive family support network.


At a prisoner of war recognition ceremony, POW's recognized what younger veterans are now going through. George Gray survived nearly three years as a prisoner of war during Korea. "I had several friends just went off the deep end because they couldn't take any more of it."


Wesley Browning survived the Bataan Death March. That ceremony at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center on Wednesday, April 9 coincided with the 66th anniversy of Bataan. He reflected, from his experience and to that awaiting our newest veterans, "they will have problems forever. (pause) It'll never end."


For veterans feeling isolated, disconnected or thinking of harming themselves, there is help out there. Call the mental health unit at Overton Brooks at (318) 221-8411.

Story by Jeff Ferrell

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