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

At first I felt lost and confused, it took a while to get back on track with family and life. But at first I was in the way, after that I was able to help and figure out the plan of attack. I was more a partner in crime.

1970 Vietnam, two of my buddies were killed. Then arriving in USA to be slammed with extreme insults at airport. When arriving home found my wife had indulged in Marijuana, cocaine,LSD, and living in hippy commune. She was convicted of abusing our 2yr old son. I took custody, and pressed onwards to retirement. I still have trust issues and always watching for trouble.

I hope to get a chance to enter next time.

There is no greater feeling than returning home from a combat deployment.

It's a feeling that you never forgot once you are not in harms way. Any servicemen who says that aren't scared in combat is lying.

It's complicated, and it's still happening 18 years later.

Like did what I sign up to do!

I was excited at first I mean I had made it all ten and ten then I got home and the loneliness set in I had been surrounded by friends and family and now it was just me and my thoughts

Damaged, weak, drained of everything in my body and mind, fearful and then defensive against the abusive and belligerent American people. It was like going from hell in Viet Nam to hell in America and I was damned and hated in both places!

Coming home from Vietnam in 1966 I experienced being spit on, booed, cursed, etc.. We were told not to wear our military uniforms but we wore them anyway!!