Speaker 1: Multiple people in my family clean my father, are veterans,
Speaker 1: troops that have been to war and now they're back.
Speaker 2: And think and be grateful for their service, sacrifice, love
Speaker 2: for their country, just unselfishness, all that they do for us.
Speaker 3: There are some people in this country who take extraordinary
Speaker 3: steps to provide for the freedom and security.
Speaker 2: We forget that those people exist.
Speaker 1: We know them as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines,
Speaker 1: and Coast Guard. They call themselves soldiers, seals, rangers, airmen, sailors, devil.
Speaker 2: Dogs, and so much more.
Speaker 1: We call them fathers, brothers, sons and husbands, mothers, daughters,
Speaker 1: sisters and wives. We call them friend and neighbor. These
Speaker 1: veterans answered the call, now we answer theirs. They are
Speaker 1: the best our country has to offer, and we love them. Today,
Speaker 1: we honor them and we serve them. David Malsby is
Speaker 1: your host, and he welcomes you to this community of veterans,
Speaker 1: as together we are building the road to hope and.
Speaker 4: And you we are glad to have you along on
Speaker 4: this Sunday afternoon. Those of you listening through KPRC the
Speaker 4: nine to five oh on the am Dal, thank you
Speaker 4: for joining us on a Sunday afternoon. Those of you
Speaker 4: listening through the wonderment of technology that we call podcast
Speaker 4: thank you so much. Wherever you listen to podcasts, just
Speaker 4: look for Road to Hope Radio. If you would please
Speaker 4: do us a great favor, just hit that subscribe button.
Speaker 4: It'll automatically download each and every week when the new
Speaker 4: show is posted on the podcast machines. We are fans,
Speaker 4: particularly of the iHeart app, but wherever you listen to podcasts,
Speaker 4: super Road to Hope Radio and appreciate you not only
Speaker 4: listening but sharing. You never know who might who might
Speaker 4: come in contact with that needs and could use a
Speaker 4: little bit of hope and information about the PTSD Foundation
Speaker 4: of America, Camp Hope and all things that we do
Speaker 4: in support of our veterans and their families as they
Speaker 4: deal with combat related post traumatic stress. Big thank you
Speaker 4: to our show sponsors allows this opportunity to spend little
Speaker 4: time with you each and every week. Our great friends
Speaker 4: at A Cory ac O, RII A, Corey Diamond and
Speaker 4: Design Billion Connie Stagner are going to take great care
Speaker 4: of you and it's time to get that something special
Speaker 4: for someone special. Two A one four eight two forty
Speaker 4: seven fifty five two eight one four A two forty
Speaker 4: seven fifty five A Corey acourid And because well we
Speaker 4: all have the oops moments Oops Steam dot com two
Speaker 4: eight one eight two two zero five six' one for
Speaker 4: all the full boring grout tile grout that needs to be,
Speaker 4: clean the h the ac venta vents that need to
Speaker 4: be cleaned out from time to, Time Oops steam dot.
Speaker 4: Com and when you're ready to make that purchase for
Speaker 4: where you want to have your dream home, Built Republic
Speaker 4: Grand ranch dot. Com Republic Grand ranch dot com just
Speaker 4: north Of, houston short little, ride beautiful, place beautiful spot
Speaker 4: can be surrounded by people that, well a lot of
Speaker 4: veterans that live out, there a lot of law enforcement
Speaker 4: first responders live out. There it's a great, community it's
Speaker 4: a great, location absolutely stunningly. Beautiful Republic Grand ranch Dot.
Speaker 4: Com all, RIGHT i got a couple of combat that's
Speaker 4: in here with us. Today i've Got max Back reintroduce, yourself.
Speaker 4: Sir my name Is Robert, McLean but he called Me
Speaker 4: mac at the. Camp i'm a lead mentor At Camp,
Speaker 4: hope and we bought a new individual here this week
Speaker 4: to go ahead and share this life story very. Cool
Speaker 4: and you SERVED.
Speaker 5: I served in The Gold war Era Panami. Army, Yes i'm,
Speaker 5: sorry eighty second. Airborn all, right very, Cool all up
Speaker 5: to you, now grand.
Speaker 2: Introduction my name Is Patrick fisher From Leake, City. TEXAS
Speaker 2: i served in The United States army The cavalry from
Speaker 2: twenty nine to twenty. Twenty and you. DEPLOYED i Deployed, Afghanistan,
Speaker 2: iraq And South.
Speaker 4: Korea, Okay so from Leak, City so that is not
Speaker 4: familiar in The houston, area just a short little. Drive, yeah,
Speaker 4: yeah so in the, area Greater houston. Area so why'd
Speaker 4: you why'd you decide to join the?
Speaker 2: Army kind of got out of high school and didn't
Speaker 2: re have a plan and ended up kind, of uh
Speaker 2: ended up being the best thing for me to go
Speaker 2: to the. Army and ONCE i got, IN I i
Speaker 2: knew that that's WHAT i was made. For?
Speaker 4: Gotcha so high school? Anything? Yeah you like the star athlete?
Speaker 4: There high?
Speaker 2: SCHOOL i was on the wrestling. Team, oh, okay they're,
Speaker 2: good and uh that definitely got me. Prepared uh, Physically
Speaker 2: i've been physically active all my life rate, baseball, soccer, UH,
Speaker 2: bmx bike racing did that for a. While that was
Speaker 2: a lot of fun and, yeah being joining the, army
Speaker 2: it was like all the physical stuff was pretty. Easy.
Speaker 4: Yeah never messed with the. WRESTLER i JUST i learned
Speaker 4: that very early. Life my youngest brother is seven years
Speaker 4: older THAN i, am and he was all state In
Speaker 4: oklahoma and he loved to practice on. Me it never
Speaker 4: ended well for me. Ever. Uh, yeah never missed with a.
Speaker 4: Wrestler so why the army is opposed to anything?
Speaker 2: Else, well, yeah just my father took me to the
Speaker 2: recruiter AND i was in there talking with, them AND
Speaker 2: i think there was a moment WHERE i seen A
Speaker 2: navy recruiter outside and she was, like, yeah you can
Speaker 2: join The navy. Seals, Uh AND i was you, KNOW
Speaker 2: i thought about, it BUT i didn't want. TO i
Speaker 2: wanted to do. SOMETHING i wanted to be on the.
Speaker 2: GROUND i wanted to you, know A navy seal sounded pretty,
Speaker 2: cool BUT i didn't want to not make it and
Speaker 2: then be on a. Boat. YEAH i ended up in The.
Speaker 2: CAVALRY i ended up going To basic where my dad Went,
Speaker 2: basic and that was kind of. Cool whenever he came
Speaker 2: and visited, ME i was able to show him where
Speaker 2: the the old barracks. Was, uh it was actually the
Speaker 2: same barracks in the movie. Stripes, yeah that's WHERE i
Speaker 2: did some training out. There that's where he was. At
Speaker 2: uh so that was kind of. Cool, yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4: Uh for any information about our ORGANIZATION PTSD usa dot,
Speaker 4: org just think Post Traumatic Stress DISORDER ptsd US a dot.
Speaker 4: Org on social, media we'd love for you to give
Speaker 4: us a follow Uh FACEBOOK. X we ARE ptsd US
Speaker 4: A PTSD u S a both On facebook and on
Speaker 4: THE x machine formerly known As, twitter and On. INSTAGRAM
Speaker 4: Ptsd foundation Of america thanks for sticking with us through
Speaker 4: this quick commercial.
Speaker 6: Break we'll be right back with more road To Hope,
Speaker 6: radio and we're welcome you, back wrote To Hope.
Speaker 2: Radio glad to have you.
Speaker 4: Along, uh got a couple of combat vets in. Here,
Speaker 4: mac how you?
Speaker 2: In?
Speaker 5: Yeah, Ok i'm, sorry can you hear?
Speaker 4: It there we?
Speaker 3: Go, okay here we.
Speaker 5: Go oh, Yeah i've been well. Started thank you for
Speaker 5: asking just uh taking in this nice winter that's supposed to.
Speaker 4: Be but he's just. Nice what this winter you used
Speaker 4: to get this stuff? Together you? Know, uh it's eighty
Speaker 4: degrees or something about eighty.
Speaker 5: Supposed to be once a, time. Sir what it's supposed
Speaker 5: to be. Winter I'm i'm from you, Know east. Cold,
Speaker 5: yeah snows for.
Speaker 4: Postcards, okay so, yeah, yeah that's why you're gonna HAVE mani, right,
Speaker 4: yeah let's just no thank. YOU i don't want to shovel,
Speaker 4: it scrape it off the windshield.
Speaker 3: Or just a little.
Speaker 4: SIDEWALK i don't know what You're oh NO i. DO
Speaker 4: i got to do that WHEN i was a, Kid,
Speaker 4: like no, more thank?
Speaker 2: You what?
Speaker 4: Correction THEN i miss it and you're free to miss. It, Okay,
Speaker 4: yes that's completely.
Speaker 5: Fine i'll send you a letter from post From. Alaska,
Speaker 5: nope only In. July, Beautiful, yes absolutely.
Speaker 4: Stunning. Yeah. Absolutely how long have you been in the, army, Mat.
Speaker 5: I've been going on twenty, years twenty plus two.
Speaker 4: Thousand you look back on it, now all these years,
Speaker 4: later how do you feel about your time in The.
Speaker 4: ARMY i enjoyed. IT i really enjoyed, myself even a bad.
Speaker 5: Time so good in a sense because you grew, up you,
Speaker 5: know it helped me grow up, anywhere coming from WHERE
Speaker 5: i come. From so but NOW i see a lot
Speaker 5: of damage that was done THAT i still harbored. Today
Speaker 5: AND i should have, known because my father went through
Speaker 5: the same thing when he got out Of, vietnam out
Speaker 5: the military, then and he showed a lot of damaged
Speaker 5: then as me being a kid to watch, it so
Speaker 5: it pretty much effected, me affects anybody, thing.
Speaker 4: Difinitely. Yeah you, know through the years of doing what we,
Speaker 4: do met an awful lot of the children and our,
Speaker 4: adults but the children Of vietnam, vets and that was
Speaker 4: prior to the diagnosis OF. Ptsd they didn't use that
Speaker 4: term back. Then it's not a new, issue but the new.
Speaker 4: Terminology but we know from Our vietnam veteran population when
Speaker 4: they came, home they were struggling big. Time and one
Speaker 4: because of the political ongoings in the nation at that
Speaker 4: time and all the rioting and all that stuff that
Speaker 4: came along With. VIETNAM a lot of the guys when
Speaker 4: they came home didn't want anybody to know that they'd,
Speaker 4: served and sure didn't go to THE, va and THE
Speaker 4: va wasn't any help even if they did. Go they
Speaker 4: just they had no clue what to do with those.
Speaker 4: Guys and so we have this SECONDARY, ptsd which is
Speaker 4: an actual. Diagnosis but, many AS i talked to many
Speaker 4: now adult children Of vietnam. Vets now that they've heard
Speaker 4: the TERM ptsd and have kind of become familiar with
Speaker 4: what it actually is and what it looks, like they
Speaker 4: look back and, say that's exactly what was going on
Speaker 4: in my. Home your, story that's very much my. Story
Speaker 4: and any thing about announce being. Addressed well because my,
Speaker 4: father oh my, god AND i emulated, that you, Know
Speaker 4: and NOW i learned to respect my father a little
Speaker 4: bit more to understand what he was going, through and
Speaker 4: that's why he had a problem reintegrating with family and
Speaker 4: so AND i see myself in this error. Too my
Speaker 4: mother to this day never agreed with the. Military reason
Speaker 4: why is the same? Thing And i'm third generation and
Speaker 4: she could see her baby, son you know it's that.
Speaker 4: Way so, yeah But i'm glad it's being addressed.
Speaker 3: Now.
Speaker 4: Sure you, know in The vietnam era, one THE va
Speaker 4: wasn't tracking suicides at. ALL i don't think they did
Speaker 4: that till two thousand and two thousand and. One somewhere
Speaker 4: in there they started trying to track. It so when
Speaker 4: you start looking at statistics, data what do we know
Speaker 4: about The vietnam veteran? Population and it's impossible to get
Speaker 4: even a consensus on what's believed to be the suicide
Speaker 4: rate amongst Our vietnam. Vets and, again if you're not
Speaker 4: even trying to track it from we supposedly began ur
Speaker 4: and volve military militarily in nineteen sixty, five so if
Speaker 4: you go sixty five to seventy, three they weren't tracking it.
Speaker 4: Then then they didn't track it from seventy three TILL
Speaker 4: i think it was two, thousand so there's another twenty something,
Speaker 4: years so you got over thirty years of you, know
Speaker 4: men and women we were, losing but there was no
Speaker 4: tracking of, it so there was no way to go.
Speaker 4: BACK i, mean there is a, WAY i, guess but
Speaker 4: it would be nigh. Impossible and then tracking it from
Speaker 4: that point to. This but when you look back on
Speaker 4: the fifty plus years of what that would be and
Speaker 4: now sixty since the beginning of our involvement militarily In,
Speaker 4: vietnam there's no way to. Know so WHEN i started
Speaker 4: looking it up on The google machine trying to figure it,
Speaker 4: out it's so varied on what people assume to be the,
Speaker 4: number but one of the numbers THAT i saw that
Speaker 4: it's difficult to shock me anymore because we've been doing
Speaker 4: this long enough and this heard so many stories it's
Speaker 4: hard to shock. Me but one report THAT i saw
Speaker 4: it was staggering to. Me and it stated that amongst
Speaker 4: The vietnam veteran, population they believe the number to be
Speaker 4: eight to ten times the number of men who were
Speaker 4: killed in. Action so that's fifty eight thousand roughly that
Speaker 4: were killed In. Vietnam if the eight to ten number is,
Speaker 4: right that's a half a million people That i've never
Speaker 4: heard anything like. That WHAT i had heard was probably
Speaker 4: eight to nine years. Old there was some talk at
Speaker 4: the time there have been two hundred and fifty thousand
Speaker 4: who had committed. Suicide was still as that's four to, one,
Speaker 4: yeah but eight and ten to one that that's THAT'S
Speaker 4: i don't even know what to say about.
Speaker 2: That what is it to? Say?
Speaker 4: Really and you, know It's, vietnam, right you just you
Speaker 4: just hear the, word and you, know all these images
Speaker 4: come to. Mind AND i was just a, KID i
Speaker 4: mean a child when this was going, on and really
Speaker 4: ALL i remember of it at the, time this was
Speaker 4: the later part Of. Vietnam it was JUST i Remember
Speaker 4: Walter cronkite and THE Cbs Evening news and there'd being a,
Speaker 4: map you, know as of the, background and you talk
Speaker 4: about what was had gone on the day before In
Speaker 4: vietnam and then the, protests WHICH i again i'm a.
Speaker 4: CHILD i had no comprehension of what that was all
Speaker 4: about or what was going on at the. Time but
Speaker 4: you look back at it now through the lens of,
Speaker 4: history and you see what happened In vietnam and so
Speaker 4: many involved in drug use while they were. There then
Speaker 4: what happened when they came, home being spat, on called
Speaker 4: baby killers and all this nonsense that happened when they came. Home,
Speaker 4: like that's trauma on Top we got layered. Trauma now
Speaker 4: they're packing trauma on top of trauma on top of.
Speaker 4: Trauma and it's no. Wonder whatever the number, IS i don't,
Speaker 4: know And i'm not in a fight with anybody. Ever
Speaker 4: what the number, IS i know it's. High but whatever
Speaker 4: the number, is it's inexcusable what our nation did and
Speaker 4: what our nation did not, do and how we did
Speaker 4: not take care of people like your. Dad it's so.
Speaker 5: Unfortunate and think about. IT i remember taking my, dad,
Speaker 5: well all, right my mother taking my dad back to
Speaker 5: the airport when he's going to do a, service second
Speaker 5: tour In, vietnam and he was spitting that him before
Speaker 5: he got on the, plane just when we had to
Speaker 5: walk on the tarmat to get to the, plane and
Speaker 5: the actually spit on. Him as a, KID i couldn't understand,
Speaker 5: that you. Know and then AS i grow, OLDER i.
Speaker 5: See so it was harder WHEN i went through the
Speaker 5: service BECAUSE i didn't expect people period be. Sure it's
Speaker 5: like NOW i grew up into that, mindset this can
Speaker 5: happen to.
Speaker 4: Me so he did a second. Tour he did a
Speaker 4: Second that's rare error there for The vietnam. Guys. Man all,
Speaker 4: right we don't take a quick newsbreak for those of
Speaker 4: you listening ON. Kprc when we come, back we'll get
Speaker 4: jumped back into the story With patrick and hear about
Speaker 4: his time in the military and coming back. Home so
Speaker 4: we'll be back with More road To hope rade him
Speaker 4: just a Moment, andy were welcome you Back road To HOPE.
Speaker 4: Radyo glad to have you with. Us reminder where if
Speaker 4: you listen to, podcasts just look For road To Hope.
Speaker 4: Radio if you will please hit that subscribe, Button we
Speaker 4: truly do appreciate it when you do. That it's all,
Speaker 4: free cost you absolutely, nothing and after you, LISTEN i
Speaker 4: really would appreciate it if you would share it with your,
Speaker 4: network your, friends your, coworkers you're a fellow church, members
Speaker 4: your fellow, oritarians whoever share. It we need to get
Speaker 4: the word out. Well we talked a lot about what
Speaker 4: goes on in our military, community our veteran community and
Speaker 4: their families and dealing with the reintegration coming home from
Speaker 4: war and feeling, disconnected and we want to. Help we can.
Speaker 4: Help we've got a proven program that works and it's
Speaker 4: all absolutely, free so no, cost so you don't have
Speaker 4: to worry about the expense. Barrier we've removed that we
Speaker 4: will will do everything we possibly can to help you
Speaker 4: or your veteran, friend loved, one whatever it may. Be
Speaker 4: peer to. Peer faith based christ centered doesn't mean you
Speaker 4: have to believe any particular or follow any particular. Faith
Speaker 4: it's That's it's not some kind of requirement, there but
Speaker 4: it's the basis of what we do because most everybody
Speaker 4: that comes into our, program at some point in time
Speaker 4: in their life had a faith system that they cling
Speaker 4: to and got it completely smashed while they dealt with
Speaker 4: the trauma of, war and we just want to help them.
Speaker 4: Reconnect we have to ask the question where Was? God
Speaker 4: because it's a question that's one of the most natural
Speaker 4: questions you ask of any kind of. Trauma how does
Speaker 4: how does this? Happen if there's A? God so we
Speaker 4: we don't answer that question for. You we just walked
Speaker 4: through the process of you coming to your own. Conclusion
Speaker 4: but it is peer to. Peer so that's one veteran
Speaker 4: who's come through the, program Like mac turned around helping
Speaker 4: the next veteran Like patrick come come into the program
Speaker 4: and help change the trajectory of their. Life and at
Speaker 4: the end of the, day that's what we're looking to.
Speaker 4: Do we want to put you on a better. Path
Speaker 4: So patrick must talk just a minute about your. Time
Speaker 4: you Were Afghanistan. Interacks so you got to visit both, Countries,
Speaker 4: yes neither, one by the, way on my bucket, list
Speaker 4: just so you, know not not PLACES i can particularly
Speaker 4: care to go.
Speaker 2: See, yeah there's a lot of a lot of, Sand
Speaker 2: iraq and. Desert afghanistan was a little bit, different had
Speaker 2: more trees and kind of mountains and. Water BUT i don't,
Speaker 2: KNOW i didn't really mind. IT i kind OF i
Speaker 2: really enjoyed it WHENEVER i was. There what we were, doing, uh,
Speaker 2: well a lot of times we did we did ko
Speaker 2: like key leader. Engagements we would go out to the
Speaker 2: Local afghan Or iraq army and police and we'd speak
Speaker 2: with them and train them, up train them, up and
Speaker 2: we would, go you, know we would go in a
Speaker 2: convoy with them and be a part of their mission
Speaker 2: and vice. Versa we take them with us and kind
Speaker 2: of just partner partner with. Them and uh sometimes we
Speaker 2: would you, know go to go to their place and
Speaker 2: eat and uh talk to the people and really try to,
Speaker 2: help you, know just help help them as much as we.
Speaker 2: Could and. Uh, yeah In iraq we had we had
Speaker 2: a partnership with The peshmrga they Were Kurdish Kurdish army
Speaker 2: and then The Iraqi, army and we would go out
Speaker 2: and do patrols with a platoon of both of.
Speaker 4: Them.
Speaker 2: Uh and that was pretty cool being able to work
Speaker 2: and you, know sometimes we would if we were doing
Speaker 2: a foot, patrol we would go with you, know soldiers
Speaker 2: from The kurdish side and The iraqi side BECAUSE i
Speaker 2: guess they were sort of at. Odds they didn't like each.
Speaker 2: OTHER i Think saddam pushed out The kurdish people and
Speaker 2: weren't very nice to, them but we were allies with,
Speaker 2: them and uh it was interesting being able to work
Speaker 2: with both of them and kind of see how that played.
Speaker 2: Out and there was a time where we get a
Speaker 2: phone call from THE peschemrga there was something going. On
Speaker 2: we get out there and there was a whole they
Speaker 2: Had Iraqi army CAPTURED peschemrga lieutenant and so they come
Speaker 2: and had their headquarters surrounded and we show up and
Speaker 2: kind of keep them from blowing each other. Up and, uh, yeah.
Speaker 4: Gotcha obviously your camp. Hope so there's A ptsd diagnosis
Speaker 4: in there. Somewhere, yes is that basically stem from a?
Speaker 4: Event multiple? Events the whole? Shebang where did that come?
Speaker 2: From? Yeah the whole? Shebang, uh pretty. MUCH i remember
Speaker 2: coming home From iraq on mid tour leave and just feeling,
Speaker 2: overly you, know guarded about, everything, watchful, like oh, man you,
Speaker 2: KNOW i have to check check all the corners and
Speaker 2: check you, know make sure that, UH i don't, know,
Speaker 2: guess looking for the enemy EVERYWHERE i. Went and, uh,
Speaker 2: yeah years, later BEFORE i started getting out of the,
Speaker 2: MILITARY i realized WHAT ptsd, was AND i started learning about,
Speaker 2: it AND i was, like, wow a lot of these
Speaker 2: Things i've, experienced you, know, Firsthand AND i never, thought,
Speaker 2: OH i HAVE ptsd UNTIL i started really learning about.
Speaker 2: It and. Mhm the MORE i learned, it the more
Speaker 2: it helped me realize the effects of it and what
Speaker 2: it kind of what it, did and how to uh
Speaker 2: move move past it WHERE i can WHERE i. Could,
Speaker 2: so so like you went looking for the answers a little, Bit,
Speaker 2: Yeah i've ALWAYS i Mean i've always been a person
Speaker 2: to look for the answers and every. Everything. Uh but
Speaker 2: WHENEVER i, did, YEAH i, was, HEY i found, something you,
Speaker 2: KNOW i found a piece of information that benefited.
Speaker 4: Me, well when you when you started realizing that seeing
Speaker 4: that that, information did you go to THE via or
Speaker 4: what did you?
Speaker 2: DO i was ACTUALLY i was in the army AND
Speaker 2: i had kind of gotten to a point WHERE i
Speaker 2: was severely stressed AND i was going to and uh
Speaker 2: at that time WHERE i was, at they called it behavioral.
Speaker 2: HEALTH uh talked to psychiatrists and, YEAH i was. STRESSED
Speaker 2: i was stressed about it the whole.
Speaker 4: Time so did they diagnose you or was it? Later?
Speaker 2: Yes they WHENEVER i was going through THAT i was
Speaker 2: diagnosed WITH ptsd and that was AS i was getting
Speaker 2: out of the. Military SO i MEAN i had a
Speaker 2: like a medical discharged.
Speaker 4: As as you go to THE va when you got
Speaker 4: out of The.
Speaker 2: Army EVENTUALLY i. DID i got h, SERVICE i got
Speaker 2: service connected BEFORE i got out or WHILE i was getting.
Speaker 2: Out that was an option they gave. Me and, YEAH
Speaker 2: i wasn't REALLY i wasn't really prepared for. IT i
Speaker 2: had all these appointments AND i was during twenty TWENTY
Speaker 2: covid and all, that and it was, LIKE i don't,
Speaker 2: know it was kind of. Wild it was like you
Speaker 2: got to come to these appointments and do all these,
Speaker 2: things but we're only gonna be at work for you,
Speaker 2: know two days a week or something or you. Know
Speaker 2: it was like a lot of stuff was. Canceled and but,
Speaker 2: YEAH i went to one appointment at the hospital On
Speaker 2: Fort riley and it was like A va representative and
Speaker 2: the guy was, Like, hey what has all hurt on
Speaker 2: you since you've been in the. Army SO i had
Speaker 2: that moment right just to think about, it and was, like,
Speaker 2: wow you, know eleven and a half years all right old,
Speaker 2: on let me. Think and then that was My that
Speaker 2: was the point WHERE i got you, know service. Connected
Speaker 2: get in, out, okay, yeah all, right just uh ask
Speaker 2: everybody to get your phone. Out put this phone number
Speaker 2: in your. Phone it is our Combat Trauma support. Line
Speaker 2: you can call. ANYTIME a combat veteran's going to answer the.
Speaker 2: Phone eight seven seven seven one seven seventy eight seventy.
Speaker 2: Three you may think you'll never need, it but you
Speaker 2: may come across somebody who might need. It please put
Speaker 2: this in your phone eight seven seven seven one seven
Speaker 2: seventy eight seventy. THREE a combat vet is going to
Speaker 2: answer the. Phone all, Right we're gonna take a clue
Speaker 2: break of right back with more Of road To Hope
Speaker 2: radio and were welcome back to The road To Hope
Speaker 2: radio talking with the mac AND I States army That
Speaker 2: patrick AND I States army That.
Speaker 4: Patrick caun talk about getting in the medical. Discharge when
Speaker 4: was that while youre was? That? Okay so you're out
Speaker 4: in twenty, twenty which, obviously, uh just getting out of the,
Speaker 4: army which you've been in for how long.
Speaker 2: Eleven, years seven, months twenty two.
Speaker 4: Days, yeah so that's basically all you knew is you,
Speaker 4: know someone growing up into manhood that's all you knew
Speaker 4: was the, army, right and you're jumping out and what
Speaker 4: IT i mean that in and of itself is one.
Speaker 4: Thing adding it in the middle OF covid that's a
Speaker 4: whole nother.
Speaker 2: Deal, yeah it. Was it was. Strange the whole, world you, know,
Speaker 2: changes AND i had it was having a, kid you,
Speaker 2: know AS i was getting, out throw that in there
Speaker 2: and figure out. Life it was kind of LIKE i
Speaker 2: had a class on acceptance. Earlier that kind of made
Speaker 2: me think about you, know it was really hard to. Accept.
Speaker 2: Uh life was. Different, uh you, KNOW i had to
Speaker 2: be a different. Person it was kind of, like, uh
Speaker 2: getting getting trained to be a, civilian almost like going
Speaker 2: going to war with no with no. Training uh it's
Speaker 2: like they trained us up go to, war but coming,
Speaker 2: out it's like getting out going to war with no. Training. Uh,
Speaker 2: YEAH i wasn't.
Speaker 4: Prepared and one of the worst things really ABOUT code
Speaker 4: was the whole isolation. Thing one of the tailtale. Signs
Speaker 4: one of the hey you're in deep trouble WITH ptsd
Speaker 4: has proven to be the. Isolation. Uh once someone gets
Speaker 4: into the point of, isolating there's there should be red
Speaker 4: flags sirens going off everywhere. Everybody somebody needs to step.
Speaker 4: In they're going to become a statistic on the isolation
Speaker 4: things they once you're, there it's a very dark. Place
Speaker 4: so you're coming out of the, military then you're going
Speaker 4: into a situation where just trying to learn how to
Speaker 4: live life as an adult and where you're not being
Speaker 4: told everything and supplied everything.
Speaker 1: And.
Speaker 4: Isolate like that's about as bad of a concoction that
Speaker 4: you CAN i can think. Of so you've been. Diagnosed
Speaker 4: we haven't talked about, this but you also have traumatic brain.
Speaker 4: Injurgues all, right, yeah, right so there's a lot going,
Speaker 4: on right what what would You what did you? Do
Speaker 4: how did you try to?
Speaker 2: COPE i just try to do the BEST i BEST
Speaker 2: i could WHERE i was, at and uh get help
Speaker 2: WHERE i. Could AND i don't, KNOW i was still
Speaker 2: in the, mindset uh you, know a different, mindset and uh,
Speaker 2: YEAH i JUST i kind of made made some friends
Speaker 2: WHERE i was, at and, they you, know weren't the,
Speaker 2: best uh probably the best influences in some. Cases and uh,
Speaker 2: yeah it seemed LIKE i was helping every everybody else
Speaker 2: and what they were. Doing AND i would go work
Speaker 2: for different people and try to you, KNOW i was, like,
Speaker 2: WELL i need, work you, KNOW i need to go figure,
Speaker 2: out you, know some, skills and you, KNOW i kind
Speaker 2: of took. It it was, like, well even IF i
Speaker 2: don't get, paid you, Know i'll still go work and.
Speaker 2: Learn and, yeah that was really. EXHAUSTING i was always
Speaker 2: behind or not able to catch up on the bills
Speaker 2: or having to you, know skip a, bill AND i,
Speaker 2: know just kind of everything slowly eroded.
Speaker 4: Away did you eventually go to THE va?
Speaker 2: Eventually? Yes why why'd you do?
Speaker 3: That?
Speaker 2: Well my. Parents my parents came and helped me big.
Speaker 2: Time but whenever they, did they brought me back here
Speaker 2: to south Of, Houston League, city AND i felt LIKE
Speaker 2: i still had unfinished things in the, world you. KNOW i.
Speaker 2: WAS i was in a, relationship AND i didn't realize
Speaker 2: yet that WHAT i was doing wasn't. WORKING i THOUGHT
Speaker 2: i could still go back out there and make everything.
Speaker 2: Right and eventually it was LIKE i was, homeless, hungry,
Speaker 2: uh been in jail a few times and kind of
Speaker 2: had my had to have my rights taken away really
Speaker 2: and at that point it was either walk back into
Speaker 2: the town WHERE i was at on foot or go
Speaker 2: to THE. Va AND i went to THE va and
Speaker 2: checked in and went, yeah they went, like uh it
Speaker 2: was this was In, Topeka kansas and went to the
Speaker 2: psych ward and then from, there, uh they made a.
Speaker 2: Recommendation DID i go to a program Called? Startup this
Speaker 2: was In Kansas. City SO i went to that and
Speaker 2: it was really. GOOD i started feeling better and then
Speaker 2: from THERE i went to a domicillary and THEN i
Speaker 2: got my own. Place AFTER i got out of, there
Speaker 2: Hud vash helped me get an apartment and THEN i
Speaker 2: was able to GET i got custody of my son
Speaker 2: by doing, that AND i was kind of in a
Speaker 2: point then where in my HEAD i was, like, OH
Speaker 2: i need to be. WORKING i need to be. Working
Speaker 2: but it's worked out to. Be you, Know i'm medically
Speaker 2: retired And i've gotten more out of going and getting
Speaker 2: help and being a part of this. Program how did
Speaker 2: you hear about this? PROGRAM i think from The Debate Medical. Center,
Speaker 2: yeah my stepmom and my father had found this the
Speaker 2: information for the. Program and when did you get? Here november,
Speaker 2: fifth twenty twenty, Four SO.
Speaker 4: I been here for a few. Months. Now what what's
Speaker 4: changing for? You if? Anything hopefully something's. Changing, Well i've.
Speaker 2: Kind of learned a lot more about. Religion kind of
Speaker 2: brought me back to my, faith kind of learning to
Speaker 2: deal with some of the things that bother. Me, uh
Speaker 2: some of the things that BEFORE i might not have
Speaker 2: even known what they. Were but those, things you, know,
Speaker 2: unchecked eventually turn into anger and some of this that's
Speaker 2: one of the Things i've been dealing. With. Uh learning
Speaker 2: some coping, skills doing some deep breathing and, meditation practicing,
Speaker 2: gratitude practicing positive, affirmations and learning to communicate, better be
Speaker 2: more assertive and.
Speaker 4: Your famous and in contact with You baylor And.
Speaker 2: Kemp, yes, yeah my dad brings my son to see
Speaker 2: me every. Weekend.
Speaker 4: Fantastic, well keep keep keep doing the. WORK i know
Speaker 4: it can be very frustrating of. Times keep doing the.
Speaker 4: Work the end, Result, well you'll be glad you. Did
Speaker 4: AM i, Right, mike you did? It oh, yes, SIR
Speaker 4: i am tore grateful to Have you didn't like it for,
Speaker 4: us but well you know who. Would it's a lot of. Work,
Speaker 4: yes it is a lot of work and not pleasant work.
Speaker 4: Either he thank you for. Listening, Again we truly do
Speaker 4: appreciate wherever you listen to, podcasts downloading that and sharing
Speaker 4: that with your. Friends, enemies, neighbors former, neighbors. Whoever we
Speaker 4: need to get the word. Out we can't afford to
Speaker 4: continue losing our, veterans so please Share road To Hope
Speaker 4: radio wherever you. Listen thanks again for joining. Us we
Speaker 4: do look forward to being with you again next week
Speaker 4: for more Of road To Hope.
Speaker 3: Radio
Speaker 2: Bembers the number