WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:09.240 Multiple people in my family clean my father are veterans. 2 00:00:09.080 --> 00:00:11.240 Troops that have been to war and now they're. 3 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:14.839 Back and think and be grateful for their service, sacrifice, 4 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:18.519 love for their country, just unselfishness, all that they do 5 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.039 for us. 6 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:22.519 There are some people in this country who take extraordinary 7 00:00:22.600 --> 00:00:25.440 steps to provide for the freedom and security. 8 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:27.120 We forget that those people exist. 9 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:31.120 We know them as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, 10 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:38.159 and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors, 11 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:44.560 devil dogs, and so much more. We call them fathers, brothers, 12 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:50.039 sons and husbands, mothers, daughters, sisters and wives. We call 13 00:00:50.119 --> 00:00:55.280 them friend and neighbor. These veterans answered the call. Now 14 00:00:55.920 --> 00:01:02.159 we answer theirs, and they are the best our country 15 00:01:02.200 --> 00:01:06.879 has to offer, and we love them. Today, we honor 16 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:13.959 them and we serve them. David Malsby is your host, 17 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:18.079 and he welcomes you to this community of veterans. As 18 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:21.519 together we are building the road to. 19 00:01:21.560 --> 00:01:26.120 Hope, and indeed we are glad to have you along. 20 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:29.239 On a Sunday afternoon, kPr C nine five O and 21 00:01:29.239 --> 00:01:31.959 the A and dial here in Houston, Texas. Thank you 22 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:35.159 for joining us wherever you are grateful to have you 23 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:37.719 along those of you listening through the magic of podcasts. 24 00:01:37.719 --> 00:01:40.319 Thank you for doing so, and we truly appreciate it 25 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:42.799 when you not only hit that subscribe button, but when 26 00:01:42.840 --> 00:01:46.560 you share Road to Hope. Wherever you listen to podcasts, 27 00:01:46.599 --> 00:01:49.959 just look for Road to Hope Radio and there we 28 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.719 are and it's all free. It's like everything else we do, 29 00:01:53.000 --> 00:01:56.959 zero cost to you, zero cost for you to share it, 30 00:01:57.159 --> 00:02:00.280 zero costs for those to hear about it. How do 31 00:02:00.319 --> 00:02:03.799 you meet could use a little bit of hope. So 32 00:02:03.959 --> 00:02:07.519 thank you very very much for sharing. Big thanks to 33 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:11.080 our show sponsors that help us make this possible every 34 00:02:11.120 --> 00:02:15.159 single week. Our friends at a Corey Diamond and Design. 35 00:02:15.199 --> 00:02:19.400 That's Aco ri I a Corey Diamond and Design. Down 36 00:02:19.400 --> 00:02:22.319 on friends would two eight one forty two forty seven 37 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:26.719 fifty five. Look, when you're making that kind of a purchase, 38 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:28.319 you want to make sure you're doing with people you 39 00:02:28.319 --> 00:02:31.840 can trust, in people to share your values. That's billion 40 00:02:31.840 --> 00:02:35.240 Connie Stagner two eight one four a two forty seven 41 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:37.560 fifty five. Doesn't matter where you are, there's this thing 42 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.639 called technology, and you can be anywhere and they can 43 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:43.479 help you two a one four eight two forty seven 44 00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:47.800 fifty five oopsteam dot com because well, we all have 45 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:50.919 those oops moments in our life. Oops steam dot Com 46 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:54.000 to a one eight two two zero five six one 47 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:56.479 two eight one eight two two zero five six one 48 00:02:56.599 --> 00:03:02.159 And when it's time to make that purchase your piece 49 00:03:02.199 --> 00:03:08.639 of Texas, Republic Grand Ranch dot Com. They came out, 50 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:13.400 I guess it's two weeks ago now and made the 51 00:03:13.439 --> 00:03:16.039 first of one of their donations for the course of 52 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:19.919 the year. Very generous. These folks have been great friends 53 00:03:19.960 --> 00:03:23.879 to the PTSD Foundation of America and Camp Hope for 54 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:27.199 a number of years through Texas Grand Ranch originally now 55 00:03:27.199 --> 00:03:31.319 through Republic Grand Ranch. But it's not just about that. 56 00:03:32.879 --> 00:03:34.719 You're going to buy that piece of Texas where you're 57 00:03:34.719 --> 00:03:38.159 gonna build your dream home, you want to make sure 58 00:03:38.199 --> 00:03:42.120 it's in the right place. That's Republic Grand Ranch, surrounded 59 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:46.159 by people who share your values and support our veterans. 60 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:49.120 Speaking of veterans, we got a couple of veterans in 61 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:52.240 the studio with us today. Tyrone, you want to reintroduce 62 00:03:52.240 --> 00:03:53.919 yourself to the world. You got to have you back, 63 00:03:53.960 --> 00:03:55.479 by the way, Thank you, sir. 64 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:59.159 I'm Tyrone Brown served in the US Army. I went 65 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:04.960 to Somalia ninety three. I am now a mentor at 66 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:11.000 the PTSD Foundation, and I just love what where I 67 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:14.759 came from and where I am now and serving veterans 68 00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:16.920 is h I think I believe I found my purpose. 69 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:19.199 Thank you, Larry. 70 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:22.839 Yes, sir, I'm here from Alabama. Uh. 71 00:04:23.079 --> 00:04:24.800 We can hear it in this, We can hear it 72 00:04:24.920 --> 00:04:27.480 in the voice. Yes, sir, go ahead with the cause. 73 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:30.079 And Uh, Camp Hope has really been good to me. 74 00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:33.560 I was looking for a place to go and seems 75 00:04:33.639 --> 00:04:36.319 like home now I've been here a couple of months, 76 00:04:36.360 --> 00:04:40.759 no complaints. Everything here is free for us to heal. 77 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:45.519 And I had a what branch did you serve in? 78 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:48.439 And I served in the US Army Vietnam? 79 00:04:48.920 --> 00:04:49.879 What years were you there? 80 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:53.399 Nineteen sixty seven, six and eight. I fought in the offensive. 81 00:04:54.279 --> 00:04:58.439 A lot of lives lost in that time of frame. Yeah, 82 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:03.639 and uh, a heavy ar terry. We killed a lot 83 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:08.199 of probably innocent people. That's one thing that I have 84 00:05:08.319 --> 00:05:12.000 lived with throughout my life. As the fact of we 85 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.759 were in a situation where that we could not win 86 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:20.279 the war. So we did our very best and we 87 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:25.399 came back. Some guys did not. So I think about 88 00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:28.040 those that did not make it back. Sometimes they call 89 00:05:28.279 --> 00:05:30.600 us the heroes, but to me, the heroes are the 90 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:31.800 guys didn't make it back. 91 00:05:32.519 --> 00:05:35.639 Sure, we'll get into a little bit of that story. 92 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:39.839 We're not the we're not the war story show, but 93 00:05:39.879 --> 00:05:44.199 we'll get into a little bit of that. For many 94 00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.319 who are going to listen to this, they're familiar at 95 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:52.240 least to some degree of the tet offensive, but probably 96 00:05:52.279 --> 00:05:57.079 not much those who weren't alive during that time. And 97 00:05:57.639 --> 00:06:01.639 I was alive but young to know it and have 98 00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.079 a clue what was going on. I remember, I remember 99 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:08.439 the Vietnam War to me as a kid was Walter 100 00:06:08.560 --> 00:06:13.399 Cronkite on TV black and white and a map of Vietnam, 101 00:06:13.439 --> 00:06:16.439 and they'd have some star or something on some particular 102 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:18.600 place of Vietnam that they were talking about that day, 103 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:21.480 that it happened the day before. It's so much different 104 00:06:21.480 --> 00:06:24.360 than what happened in the post nine to eleven and 105 00:06:24.399 --> 00:06:28.480 then or we were watching it while it was happening Vietnam, 106 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.519 we were hearing about it the next day, and you're 107 00:06:31.560 --> 00:06:34.519 hearing just bits and pieces. But anyway, we'll get into 108 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:37.000 a little bit of that and about what brought you 109 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:41.639 camp Hope. But big thank you to those who are 110 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:44.439 supporters of the PTSD Foundation of America. We just came through, 111 00:06:44.439 --> 00:06:47.560 of course a Memorial Day weekend. A lot of great 112 00:06:47.560 --> 00:06:51.199 things happening around the organization, some things happening at Camp 113 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:54.439 Hope over the weekend that we're very grateful for. We 114 00:06:54.480 --> 00:06:57.120 cannot do what we do without you. We certainly could 115 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:00.319 not serve our veterans at zero cost with out a 116 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:03.040 community that understands it takes more than a bumper sticker 117 00:07:03.079 --> 00:07:06.439 to support our troops. So for everyone who's a part 118 00:07:06.439 --> 00:07:08.079 of that, a big thank you. I'd life for you 119 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:10.639 to take out your phone put in our crisis line 120 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.360 phone number. You may not need it, you may not 121 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.600 be a veteran, but you may run across somebody who 122 00:07:14.600 --> 00:07:16.439 needs it, and then you're gonna wish you had it. 123 00:07:16.519 --> 00:07:20.600 Eight seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy three. 124 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:24.680 It's a lot of sevens eight seven seven seven one 125 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:29.000 seven seventy eight seventy three. Please put that in your phone. 126 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:33.040 You run across a veteran that's struggling, maybe you're the veteran, 127 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.000 Maybe you're a family member of the veteran who's struggling. 128 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:38.759 Here's what they need to know. When they call that number, 129 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:41.680 a combat veteran is going to answer the phone. Eight 130 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:45.199 seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy three. We're 131 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:46.800 going to take a quick break and be right back 132 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:48.839 with more of Road to Hope. 133 00:07:48.680 --> 00:07:58.959 Radio, don't nails a foot. 134 00:08:18.160 --> 00:08:21.439 And we're walking back roade to Hope. Are you glad 135 00:08:21.439 --> 00:08:21.720 to have you. 136 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:24.199 Along, Tyrone? 137 00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:26.519 I think one of the cool things about our organization, 138 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:31.920 which on paper began two thousand and five, on mission, 139 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:35.399 it began two thousand and nine. But either way, Post 140 00:08:35.480 --> 00:08:39.559 nine to eleven is was our beginning. A lot of 141 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:44.120 the Post nine to eleven nonprofits that stepped up to 142 00:08:44.200 --> 00:08:49.960 support our veterans support only the Post nine to eleven veterans, 143 00:08:49.960 --> 00:08:51.720 and that's fine. I get it to understand why they 144 00:08:51.720 --> 00:08:54.279 do it. But I think one of the great things 145 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:57.960 about what we do, and one of the powerful things 146 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:03.120 effective things in what we do is we have veterans 147 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:06.559 from every era of war. So you mentioned you served 148 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:18.000 in Somalia, Larry's Vietnam. That war is war, trauma is trauma. 149 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:22.120 We never compare. Your trauma is your trauma. So that's 150 00:09:22.120 --> 00:09:23.919 what it is. And you know, my trauma is worse 151 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:27.440 than yours. That's a stupid argument, right, But it's so 152 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:30.759 important for people to understand. We do serve veterans of 153 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:36.320 every era of war, and most folks, if you ask 154 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:40.480 them to start delineating America's war as they skip over 155 00:09:40.519 --> 00:09:44.759 Samoia for instance, Yes, Korea is known as the forgotten War. 156 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:51.000 How important is it to you to see, like when 157 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:53.399 you were in the program and what year did you 158 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:58.039 come in? Okay, so three years ago when you came 159 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:01.600 into the program, how important was it as you went 160 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:07.799 through to see guys both who served previous to you 161 00:10:07.960 --> 00:10:09.519 and post to you. 162 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:13.679 It was actually wonderful. The thing that I noticed was this, 163 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:18.279 no matter where we had been, our trauma had so 164 00:10:18.480 --> 00:10:22.440 many similarities, you know, and even mister Larry, like mister 165 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:27.840 the Vietnam vets that come, you know, I give them a. 166 00:10:27.799 --> 00:10:28.440 Lot of. 167 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.360 I respect them so much because they suffered for longer. 168 00:10:34.519 --> 00:10:36.679 You know, I've been I got out of the military 169 00:10:36.679 --> 00:10:39.000 of ninety four and I came in twenty two, So 170 00:10:39.080 --> 00:10:42.120 that's a less amount of time than what mister Larry 171 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:46.399 went to the war and then he came here. But 172 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:49.000 it just let me know that it didn't matter where 173 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:51.440 we came from. It didn't matter what warre we in. 174 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:56.000 The symptoms were the same, no matter what state we 175 00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:01.440 came from or anything like that. Trauma is trauma regards nothing, 176 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.480 It will affect anyone. So yeah, that's what That's what 177 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:06.279 was great for me. 178 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:12.480 Yeah, Larry, I'm sure for any veteran coming into camp hope. 179 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:16.360 You know, especially coming from out of state, You're going 180 00:11:16.399 --> 00:11:19.519 to some place you've never been before, going to a 181 00:11:19.559 --> 00:11:24.159 place when people you've never met before, not really sure 182 00:11:24.240 --> 00:11:26.360 what you're in for. I mean, you can see the brochure, 183 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:28.559 you can see what's online and read all that. That's 184 00:11:28.639 --> 00:11:31.120 and that's all fine and good, but you don't really 185 00:11:31.159 --> 00:11:33.039 know where you're going or who you're about to meet, 186 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:37.159 what you're about to walk into. But coming in as 187 00:11:37.200 --> 00:11:41.440 a Vietnam vet, someone who's time in combat was more 188 00:11:41.480 --> 00:11:44.600 than five decades ago, what was that like for you? 189 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:50.480 Excuse me? The combat that I was involved in was 190 00:11:50.519 --> 00:11:54.000 in sixty seven or sixty eight, And for a long 191 00:11:54.039 --> 00:11:59.039 time after I came back home, no one really respected us. 192 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:04.519 We were forgotten. We were called baby killers by some 193 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:08.720 of the people. And it's not that they didn't really care. 194 00:12:08.840 --> 00:12:12.039 They didn't really know what we were doing, you know, 195 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:17.480 so no one really welcomed me back or really thanked 196 00:12:17.480 --> 00:12:21.360 me so for my family. And so I worked and 197 00:12:21.399 --> 00:12:25.879 raised a family and did pretty good. At times. I 198 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:30.519 would have some things that were haunting me. But the 199 00:12:30.600 --> 00:12:35.679 VA back then wasn't very much help to us, if any, 200 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:39.000 at that time when I came home in sixty eight. 201 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:46.559 So as time progressed, it took me. Well. I was 202 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:49.720 forty three years of age when I first got help 203 00:12:49.759 --> 00:12:54.320 from the Vestre's administration. That was my hearing by little 204 00:12:54.320 --> 00:13:00.679 hearing loss and and then ten nights, so we were 205 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:04.159 As time grew on, they started taking care of us more, 206 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:09.399 and it took me about twenty five years to get 207 00:13:09.399 --> 00:13:12.519 my one hundred percent disability because of PTSD. I had 208 00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:15.600 been caring with me all these years, even though I 209 00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:19.240 realize how bad it was getting on me. But as 210 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:22.759 I retired in two thousand and eight, I have a 211 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.320 small farm that I worked with cattle and uh family 212 00:13:26.600 --> 00:13:30.879 back home, and I did pretty good for a couple 213 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:33.440 three years, but then time got all the work done, 214 00:13:34.200 --> 00:13:38.759 it started coming back. I had these nightmares, you might say, 215 00:13:38.919 --> 00:13:44.679 and I saw those guys a little BC as we 216 00:13:44.759 --> 00:13:47.799 call them coming up on the back deck one night 217 00:13:47.879 --> 00:13:51.799 and went out. It wasn't real. So as time grew on, 218 00:13:51.919 --> 00:13:53.879 I started to get more help from the VA, and 219 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.759 they put me on meds and really helping me today 220 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:00.519 and I appreciate what to do today. They kept up 221 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:04.080 for US vesters in needs. So I am so thankful 222 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:06.519 and so thankful for Camp Hope what they've done for 223 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:08.759 me as I came in from out of state, like 224 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:14.639 Pastor Moser said, and I have really been grateful. It 225 00:14:14.679 --> 00:14:17.679 didn't take me too long to adjust because I have 226 00:14:18.759 --> 00:14:20.519 done a lot of different things in my life. I've 227 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.320 taught classes and I've done a lot of different things, 228 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:28.279 So I have fit right in I Hope and trying 229 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:30.240 to do the very best I can my stay here 230 00:14:30.279 --> 00:14:31.600 at Camp Hope. 231 00:14:33.000 --> 00:14:35.879 When were you When were you diagnosed by the VA. 232 00:14:36.919 --> 00:14:42.080 I was diagnosed with the VA in about two thousand 233 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:45.799 and six. Is really having the PTSD. It took me 234 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:54.399 about twenty five years by going through thus the VFW 235 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:59.679 and American Legion helped me, and so it took that 236 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.720 long for me to get what I really needed, started 237 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:09.639 seeing therapist and psychiatrists and the things that I need. 238 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:16.840 And now I am progressing well and trying to do 239 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:19.639 those things that make me heal, you know. 240 00:15:20.120 --> 00:15:26.159 Sure, well, of course I think it was nineteen eighty, 241 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:32.559 I believe within a year or two of when the 242 00:15:32.799 --> 00:15:38.960 diagnosis of PTSD was officially a thing. And of course 243 00:15:39.200 --> 00:15:41.879 it's not a new thing, it's just a new name. 244 00:15:42.919 --> 00:15:45.320 People love to talk about the name. It should dropped 245 00:15:45.360 --> 00:15:49.279 the d so because it's not a disorder. There used 246 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:53.519 to be thousand yards stare, all kinds of different things 247 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:57.600 that names that have been given to it, but very 248 00:15:57.639 --> 00:16:09.399 similar issues, all recurrences or responses to war. And yes, 249 00:16:10.000 --> 00:16:14.519 I think it's very obvious to everybody who's paid any 250 00:16:14.600 --> 00:16:17.879 kind of attention that the VA certainly dropped the ball 251 00:16:18.080 --> 00:16:21.720 for our veterans coming home from Vietnam. But it's not 252 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:27.159 just the VA. The entire nation failed miserably because of 253 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:30.200 what was going on in America at the time. And 254 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:34.200 I've talked to many Vietnam vets who have when they 255 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.919 came home, they made sure nobody knew they had ever 256 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:39.360 been there. They didn't want anybody to know that they 257 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:41.519 were there because of those things that you mentioned being 258 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.919 called baby killers. 259 00:16:44.679 --> 00:16:48.120 If I might say this, when I got out of 260 00:16:48.159 --> 00:16:53.240 the military in sixty eight, about around April at Oakland 261 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:55.960 trash Fair Base. They told us we're probably best if 262 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:59.759 we put on Seville in clothes and not have her uniform. 263 00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:01.440 All that was really a blow to be. 264 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:06.440 No, no, no doubt. I mean, I one, I can't 265 00:17:06.440 --> 00:17:08.480 imagine it. I mean I can pretend to imagine, but 266 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:10.960 I can't. I can't imagine what that must have been like. 267 00:17:11.839 --> 00:17:13.319 Were you drafted, yes, sir? 268 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:15.240 Okay, so you know, first of all, you take some 269 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:18.160 eighteen year old kid or whatever and draft them, just 270 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:20.960 pluck them out of their life and train them up 271 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.880 for war and send them over to a jungle for 272 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:26.680 a year and expect them to come home and everything 273 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.680 be okay. There's just nothing about any of that that 274 00:17:29.759 --> 00:17:31.960 makes sense. Which war doesn't make sense. There's no way 275 00:17:31.960 --> 00:17:35.240 to make sense of war. I hate all the fallout 276 00:17:35.240 --> 00:17:37.559 of it. It's just there's so much tragedy, and there's 277 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:39.960 so many people that just seem like they just want 278 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:43.680 to go to war over everything. Like, man, somebody's making 279 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:46.359 money off it. I get it, But man, you are 280 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:51.160 destroying so so so many lives eight seven seven seven one, seven, 281 00:17:51.240 --> 00:17:54.440 seventy eight, seventy three again, that's our Combat Trauma Crisis Line. 282 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:58.440 Our website's PTSD USA dot org for information both on 283 00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:00.720 Camp Hope and all of our support groups both for 284 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:02.279 veterans and for family. 285 00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:36.960 We'll be right back, Yeah. 286 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:24.480 Welcome back, Roade to Hope Radio. David Malsby along with Tyrone, 287 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:31.079 United States Army veteran mentor at Camp Hope, the Interim 288 00:18:31.119 --> 00:18:34.440 Housing Program the PTSD Foundation of America got Larry United 289 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:38.640 States Army Vietnam veteran Tyrone Somalia. I should have mentioned 290 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:46.000 that Larry United States Army Vietnam VET, both with PTSD 291 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:49.400 Tyrone having come through the program at Camp Hope completing it, 292 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.759 and now I'm serving as a mentor in our program, 293 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.319 which is so cool. I just, I just I think 294 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:58.519 all those stories are just so inspiring, Like the struggle 295 00:18:58.599 --> 00:19:03.759 you get through of you know, a battle itself and combat, 296 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:06.400 but then the struggle of coming home and dealing with 297 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:08.799 that for you know, like in Larry's instance, you're talking 298 00:19:08.799 --> 00:19:14.359 about five plus decades over you know, overcoming that, learning 299 00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:16.440 how to work along with that and cope with that 300 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:18.599 and then help your fellow brother. That's just to me, 301 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:22.559 that's just such an inspiring story Larry again in Vietnam. 302 00:19:22.640 --> 00:19:24.319 Vet. Let's go back. 303 00:19:25.160 --> 00:19:27.759 When were you drafted? 304 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:32.960 I was drafted in May of sixty six, nineteen sixty shicks. 305 00:19:33.160 --> 00:19:33.799 How old were you? 306 00:19:34.720 --> 00:19:35.160 Nineteen? 307 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:39.839 Nineteen years old? And then where what city in Alabama? 308 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:43.480 I was? I was actually grew up in at Tennessee, 309 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.759 you know, Okay, a little town called Pulaska, Tennessee. Yeah, 310 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:51.720 Giles County, just right on the Alabama northern border. 311 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:56.559 So you're nineteen. I'm guessing you probably had an idea 312 00:19:56.599 --> 00:19:59.920 it was probably coming well. 313 00:20:00.039 --> 00:20:01.680 I didn't have too much of an idea, but I 314 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:02.160 knew that. 315 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:03.839 What were you doing? 316 00:20:04.640 --> 00:20:07.359 I was working as a sharkings over planned in Plashka, Tennessee. 317 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.640 Just had graduated high school and was working there and 318 00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:15.119 got my draft notice and went to Nashville, Tennessee. There. 319 00:20:15.440 --> 00:20:19.880 From there, I came back home and then I ended 320 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:26.880 up in Benning, Georgia for my military basic training. 321 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:29.960 Do you remember how you felt when you got that 322 00:20:30.519 --> 00:20:31.319 draft notice? 323 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:36.039 I remember very well this one night. We got there 324 00:20:36.119 --> 00:20:39.880 later in the afternoon, and we still had our civilian 325 00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:43.519 clothes on, and I remember uh walking around that night, 326 00:20:43.559 --> 00:20:45.799 had to pull a firewatch two o'clock in the morning, 327 00:20:45.880 --> 00:20:48.400 I looked up and I said, what if I got 328 00:20:48.440 --> 00:20:51.359 into You know, I was homesick, never been anywhere much 329 00:20:51.559 --> 00:20:54.920 in my life other than maybe one hundred miles from home. 330 00:20:55.680 --> 00:21:02.000 Grew up in really the countryside, farming, working to raising 331 00:21:02.039 --> 00:21:05.160 cattle and milk and cows, just the things that life 332 00:21:05.200 --> 00:21:08.720 at that time. It was pretty tough. You know. I 333 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:11.559 was born in nineteen forty seven, so if you think 334 00:21:11.680 --> 00:21:16.240 back on that, it was just really different, different time. 335 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:22.279 I'm a little I'm about twenty years younger than you are. 336 00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:25.039 And yes, even that was a different time than from day. 337 00:21:25.319 --> 00:21:27.839 Today is a very different world we're living in. 338 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:31.680 I know this computers stuff we have. I'm way behind 339 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:35.839 on all that. So my son can do that for 340 00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:37.880 me when I'm home, but I ain't got him around now, 341 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:39.960 so I make it pretty good. 342 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:44.279 Yeah, I always kind of laugh at people's like man, 343 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:47.319 when I was in college, it was a IBM typewriter 344 00:21:47.440 --> 00:21:48.119 and whiteout. 345 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:51.920 I know that. I remember I went through a lot 346 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:54.839 of white out. I remember the white out from high school. 347 00:21:55.720 --> 00:21:59.920 Yeah, no such thing as a cell phone or backspace. 348 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.359 Never had a cell phone. 349 00:22:01.680 --> 00:22:03.559 A very very different world. 350 00:22:03.799 --> 00:22:06.720 I remember our first phone we got on our first 351 00:22:06.759 --> 00:22:09.680 TV in about nineteen sixty two, We've got a black 352 00:22:09.720 --> 00:22:16.119 white TV. So times have really changed for me. Yeah. 353 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:19.960 Okay, so you get drafted and it's like, what what's 354 00:22:20.039 --> 00:22:22.920 going on? What's about to happen? You end up at 355 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:26.599 Fort Benning. When did you step foot into Vietnam? 356 00:22:27.000 --> 00:22:31.640 Okay, took the basic train at Fort Benning that I 357 00:22:31.759 --> 00:22:34.839 in the In June of that same year, I went 358 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:38.680 to Fort Sill, Oklahoma, took a T and Fort Fort 359 00:22:38.680 --> 00:22:43.039 Seill and we uh after Ai T we deacted. We 360 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:47.599 reactivated the first Brittagion twenty seventh Field Archarry, second Field 361 00:22:47.599 --> 00:22:50.839 Force in Vietnam. And there's one five or five artillery 362 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:53.480 guns which some may know or not know about it, 363 00:22:53.559 --> 00:22:57.119 but anyway, we trained all those guns and we went 364 00:22:57.160 --> 00:22:59.559 over a ship in the in the spring of that 365 00:22:59.680 --> 00:23:04.759 year April May April to be exact, April fourteenth, and uh, 366 00:23:06.039 --> 00:23:09.920 we sailed over by the USS General Walker, first time 367 00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:13.000 that I've been on board ship and the last. So 368 00:23:13.039 --> 00:23:15.960 we sailed bout eighteen days in Vietnam to get to 369 00:23:16.039 --> 00:23:21.119 Vietnam and a port of Von Tau, Vietnam, and we 370 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:25.079 received our weapons there and carried them in the country 371 00:23:25.079 --> 00:23:28.039 and built a base camp at a place called Fuloi, Vietnam. 372 00:23:29.319 --> 00:23:31.599 And uh, what I mean by a base camp. We 373 00:23:31.640 --> 00:23:35.880 had to build up barriers, sandbash protect our ammunition and 374 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:40.680 powder that was involved in shooting a one five five 375 00:23:40.920 --> 00:23:46.160 Arteria weapon and uh from there we uh, we were 376 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:47.880 over there during the time there was a lot of 377 00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:52.119 stuff going on sixty seven or sixty eight. Uh, like 378 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:56.440 brother Molty said, many people don't really know about the tent, 379 00:23:56.640 --> 00:24:00.799 but that was that was when the North invaded the 380 00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:04.519 South Vietnam using the viet Cong that were already there 381 00:24:04.799 --> 00:24:08.240 and infiltrated cities and all this, and that that's when 382 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:12.160 we really we fired. I looked at some history on that. 383 00:24:13.240 --> 00:24:18.440 Before the Tet Offensive, there were about nine hundred and 384 00:24:18.599 --> 00:24:22.799 thirty something rounds fired for this twenty seventh Artier Group, 385 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:25.640 and then after during that it was like fifteen hundred 386 00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:27.599 rounds fired during the Tet Offensive. 387 00:24:31.799 --> 00:24:35.160 Where were you What were you doing during tent? What 388 00:24:35.319 --> 00:24:36.519 was your job on. 389 00:24:36.599 --> 00:24:39.920 The Artaria gun? Okay went over there as an assistant 390 00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:43.319 gunner on the arterier weapon was the one five five 391 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:48.599 shellways ninety six pounds, So my job was assistant gunner. 392 00:24:48.640 --> 00:24:51.920 I had to figure on the scope the elevation of 393 00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:58.720 the bear was and I stayed that position for about 394 00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:03.079 six months and Vietnam then, Uh, one night we got 395 00:25:03.160 --> 00:25:07.640 hit by mortars and rockets that hit a fire direction center, 396 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:10.799 wounded some of those guys pretty bad and hit our 397 00:25:11.319 --> 00:25:15.359 number six gun. Six guns in an artillery battery, and 398 00:25:15.519 --> 00:25:19.480 number six gun was hit. Two of the guys were hit. 399 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.799 The round hit the powder bunker and it burned them 400 00:25:21.799 --> 00:25:25.039 pretty bad on their legs. I never saw those two 401 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:28.319