Can you describe how you felt coming home from a deployment or combat?

After leaving Vietnam, I went to Okinawa for four days to pick up the items that I had left there and prepare to go to the states. While there, a Marine that had just arrived from Vietnam, informed me that my best friend had been killed the day after I left Vietnam. I was sad, angry and shocked. Stateside, myself and other Marines, made the trip by bus from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to LAX. At LAX we were greeted by maggots that tried to block our way, and called us every name they could think of. One woman asked me how many babies had I killed while another told me to repent for my sins. I was in uniform so that I could fly at the military standby rate. I was not in a good mood but I kept my discipline and did not respond to these maggots as I wanted to.

For me it was certainly a mixed bag. Nervous about taking up the mantel of husband and father. Excited to see my family again and concerned that my absence made my young daughter feel like I deserted her.

To be honest, I felt..a bit repulsed when I returned from Iraq. Immediately following my deployment, I moved to Bloomington, IN and began attending classes at IU. The contrast between a war zone and an American college was more stark than I was prepared for; the trivial things my privileged classmates complained about- “problems” like the allowance they received from their parents not being generous enough- drove me insane. My peers appeared so oblivious and entitled to me I felt alienated and resentful. I eventually adjusted, and realized that all situations are subjective- if someone hasn’t experienced much adversity in their lives, it’s ultimately irrational and unkind to hold that against them. These days, I often remind myself to remain grateful for all the little things I’d taken for granted before Iraq- blessings like access to clean water, sidewalks, libraries, equal rights for women..I could go on for days. Deployment broadened my perspective on life more than any other experience I’ve had.

One of my sons, a Combat Infantryman did three combat tours; his older brother did one. I was heartened when each came home from a deployment, neither were screamed at about being, "baby killers," or otherwise harrassed.
When we Nam Vets came home though, it was totally different. At the El Torro Marine base, there was a small contingent of military dependants who applauded us and waved American Flags; but at LA Int'l Airport, we were booed, and called murderers and baby killers. As a medic, it was probably even more offensive to me. When I landed at Pittsburgh Int'l Airport, I stayed ont he plane until every last person was off. I sat ther so long, my parents thought I'd missed the flight, but I was avoiding the civilians who were virtually ALL hostile during the flight from California; particularly the stewardesses.
Entering the airport, I was glad I took a flight arriving in the late evening - no protesters and no hassles at the bagage claim area.
Back then we had to travel in uniform, and I was proud of my Marine dress greens despite any animosities at LA or onboard the flight. My demeanor was pretty much, "in your face," and I didn't give a rat's ass about anyone's disrespect so long as they didn't try to touch me. That same attitude remains to this day - I have only two non-veteran/non-police friends. It is what it is.

I thought I would be excited to get back to normal, but I was sad and depressed. The first thing my mom said was, "What did they do to you?" Lol. I was thin and pale, rather sickly looking. I had lost 20 pounds because it was too hot to eat most of the time. I missed the adrenaline, the urgency to do things, the comradery.

I was in the Army during Vietnam. When came home, I was tired and sad. Had to wear uniform to fly, each airport in the U.S. there were lots of protesters yelling, screaming words I would never use in public. Kicked by children, urine thrown at me.

When I finally got to Detroit Airport my dad and wife were waiting. The same things as other Airports and all I could think was the world had gone crazy.

But, being with great loving family and friends helped put all the bad into a box in the back of my brain, and forget for a while.

With passing time (I’m not 67), it’s less and less the box opens. Thank God For the VA, my friends and family remind me for the most part - were a loving people and only a Few bad.

Learned to deal with these memories are faded by love.

I was excited for the first 24 or so hours. But after that initial period, I wanted nothing more than to leave. Life whilst deployed was is simpler. No longer surrounded by what one has come to know and expect, no longer around those one has spent all his time around, and looking forward to a future that is categorically different from which one has become adapted, one yearns for what feels "safe", metaphorically even if not literally.

Excited and a little scared too. I would always be so excited to see friends & loved ones but I always felt a little anxious because I didn’t want to be different from what they were hoping to see.

It was definitely a hard adjustment. I felt like an outsider in my own home when I returned. It took me awhile to adjust to waking up in my own bed. I felt like a stranger to my kids and my wife. But as the days went by, life changed and I was able to adjust to being home again. I still have bad dreams from my time deployed, but I learned to deal with them over time.