From: jewell@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Larry Jewell)
Newsgroups: soc.veterans,alt.war.vietnam
Subject: 'NamVet Newsletter, Vol.4, no.12 (5/7)
Date: 4 Oct 92 17:02:15 GMT
Followup-To: soc.veterans
Organization: Purdue University


            symbolize or resemble the traumatic event.
     (Elizabeth M Norman AMERICAN JOURNAL OF NURSING Nov 1982 P 1696)
     
     SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS HAVE TO DO WITH EQUAL TREATMENT FOR NAMVETS?
       Well, at the present,  it really doesn't.   At least,  not until 
     Post-Traumatic  Stress  is understood as a causative factor  which 
     may precede an individual's actions which are termed "criminal."
       "Any  principled  description of PTSD must begin with the  clear 
     recognition  that  it is not a new phenomenon in combat  veterans, 
     nor  is  it limited to veterans.   A substantial body of  research 
     suggests  that stress reactions among veterans have resulted  from 
     every  major  conflict  in  this  century  and,   perhaps  are  an 
     unavoidable  consequence  of  war.   In addition,  over  the  past 
     several  decades research has indicated that reactions similar  to 
     the  PTSD  diagnostic  criteria  can be seen  in  such  apparently 
     diverse  groups  as  rape victims,  World War II  and  Korean  War 
     veterans, Holocaust survivors,  Hiroshima atomic blast victims and 
     survivors  of  other catastrophic events.   Thus,  any attempt  to 
     present PTSD as a "Vietnam Veterans Problem"  is clearly misplaced 
     and tactically unwise.
       According to DSM III, traumatic events that can precipitate PTSD 
     symptoms  include  floods,  earthquakes,  car or plane  accidents, 
     bombing, torture, and, of course, combat.
       Following  the traumatic event,  a person who suffers from  PTSD 
     may  have  a  number of  symptoms  that  include:  self-medication 
     through  substance or alcohol abuse,  memory loss,  loss of sleep, 
     nightmares  reliving  the  original  traumatic  event,   intrusive 
     thoughts,  exaggerated  startle response,  reduction in  emotional 
     response,  a feeling of alienation,  and,  "disassociative states" 
     during  which  the original event is relived and  "the  individual 
     behaves as though experiencing the event of the moment."
       Recent  studies have reported that "explosive behavior"  may  be 
     only  one variant of the stress reactions experienced by veterans.  
     Dr.  John Wilson and Dr.  Sheldon Ziglebaum have suggested that at 
     least  three  types of PTSD reactions can be seen in the  veterans 
     they have interviewed and treated.  First, a dissociative reaction 
     in  which  the veteran behaves as he did  in  combat.   Second,  a 
     compulsive  "living  on the edge"  response in which  the  veteran 
     repeatedly  seeks out dangerous or highly stimulating  situations.  
     Third, a profound "survivor guilt" reaction which leads to intense 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 61
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     despair,  suicide attempts or attempts to get caught,  punished or 
     killed." (Dr. John S. Wilson THE FORGOTTEN WARRIOR PROJECT)
       As  one might expect,  these reactions may lead to behavior that 
     has  a  wide  range  of legal  implications  for  veterans.   Some 
     authorities  have suggested that twenty-five to thirty percent  of 
     Vietnam  veterans  who  saw  heavy combat have  been  arrested  on 
     criminal  charges.   In addition,  high suicide  rates,  substance 
     abuse, marital difficulties, and employment problems, all of which 
     have  legal  implications,  occur  more frequently  among  Vietnam 
     veterans who saw heavy combat than among the general population.
       Throughout  the country...   Vietnam veterans,  especially those 
     who  served  in heavy combat,  bear to this day more  symptoms  of 
     psychological  distress  than other Vietnam era veterans  or  than 
     comparable  men  who were not in the military during the years  of 
     the Vietnam war.  These symptoms, called "stress reactions,"  were 
     more  intense and more likely to persist among men whose  position 
     in  our society makes them least able to cope --  blacks and other 
     minority members, the unemployed or the irregularly employed,  the 
     poor,  and  men with varying levels of stability in their families 
     when  they were children (C.  Peter Erlinder PAYING THE PRICE  FOR 
     VIETNAM:  POST  TRAUMATIC  STRESS DISORDER AND  CRIMINAL  BEHAVIOR  
     Boston College Law Review).
     
     ARE WE GONNA TALK ABOUT EQUAL TREATMENT FOR NAM VETS NOW???
       Yes!   We're  finally there!   My research has taken me all over 
     the country -  by car,  telephone,  letter,  book or conversation.  
     Reporting its'  results is like trying to take a drink from a fire 
     hydrant:   you  get  your thirst quenched,  but ya have  a  little 
     trouble savoring each precious drop.
       Stratification  (another  way  of  defining  'Equal  Treatment') 
     involves  a  form  of  social inequality.   Based  on  my  initial 
     observation  and  my present involvements,  I thought for  sure  I 
     would  find  an inequality that was detrimental to  our  country's 
     veterans  and sort of a "kick in the teeth"  for the prior service 
     to  America that they had performed.   Such was not the case -  at 
     least not in the small cities I contacted.
       In Pittsfield, Massachusetts, population approximately 51,000, I 
     had  the  good  fortune  to speak with Captain  W.  Boyer  of  the 
     Pittsfield,  MA  Police  Department.   When  asked if  he  felt  a 
     veteran,  any  veteran,  was given deferential treatment,  Captain 
     Boyer  explained  that the police force,  in  most  instances,  is 
     familiar  with Pittsfields'  veterans and the problems they  might 
     have.   According to Captain Boyer,  their biggest problems lie in 
     the area of alcohol abuse (which, in the light of information just 
     presented,  appears  to be indicative of untreated Post  Traumatic 
     Stress  Disorder(s))  for Combat veterans).   When the  Department 
     receives  a  call  or  a report  concerning  one  of  Pittsfields' 
     veterans,   it   usually  has  a  close,   working  knowledge  and 
     relationship with him/her and,  in many cases,  unless the problem 
     is extremely serious, charges are seldom brought.
       However,  should  the societal offense be of such a degree  that 
     incarceration  is warranted,  the veteran and his/her situation is 
     presented to an attorney for proper defense before it is presented 
     to  a  judge.   If the veteran has a history of difficulties  with 
     alcohol  and/or substance abuse or other war-related  psychiatric-
     type  difficulties,  the attorney is advised of same and,  in most 
     instances,   treatment  rather  than  punishment  is  recommended.  
     Should  the  attorney  feel  it will  be  helpful,  the  veterans' 
     military  record  is also brought to the attention of  the  judge.  
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 62
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     Oftentimes,  in  lieu of punishment, a treatment program is worked 
     out  through either the local mental health department or a nearby 
     Veterans  Administration  facility with close cooperation  of  the 
     veteran, the parole officer, and the judicial system.
       Officer  Smith (he gave me no first name),  of the  Albany,  New 
     York Police Department,  1980 population of 101,727, reported that 
     "No.  Veterans in our area are treated no different than any other 
     citizen  who breaks the law.   We don't have the time to learn WHO 
     they are nor what they've done prior to our being called to assist 
     or  arrest.   We  bring them to jail and treat them just like  any 
     other criminal.   I wish I could help you more,  but we're swamped 
     here.  Phones are ringing off the hook."
       And, finally,  in a telephone conversation with Officer Dolan of 
     the Hudson,  New York Police Department,  population approximately 
     13,000, I learned that Hudson knows its citizens well.  They, too, 
     like  Pittsfield,  MA,  experience many difficulties with veterans 
     and  alcohol/substance abuse.   They've established  relationships 
     with most of them (the veterans)  and can usually handle any great 
     difficulties.  If they run into any severe difficulties, they have 
     a  Hotline number to the Albany,  New York Veterans Administration 
     Medical Center.  It is interesting,  though,  that when I asked if 
     they  treated  veterans  differently than  any  other  lawbreaking 
     citizen,  I  was  told  "Our Vietnam veterans  usually  only  have 
     problems with alcohol or substance abuse" - which,  in itself,  is 
     not   *-BAD-*   but  seems  to  further  the  possibly   erroneous 
     stereotypical image of our Vietnam veterans.
       A  Federal  Corrections officer I spoke with mentioned that  the 
     only thing that seemed to make a difference in the Federal Prisons 
     was  the amount of money or social status that a person had  prior 
     to  his/her incarceration.   Whether a person was a veteran or not 
     seemed  to have little bearing on the treatment prior to,  during, 
     and after incarceration.
     
     AND IN CONCLUSION (FINALLY <grin>)...
       Please  let me thank you for taking the time to read this.   For 
     me,  it  has  been  a real extra-curricular effort and  I'm  still 
     pretty certain that I didn't get all of what I discovered in here.  
     There was so much information!
       Equal Treatment?  Stratification?   Was there any?   Yes,  there 
     certainly was - but NOT in the manner I expected.
       It  appears,  in  retrospect and reflection,  that if  you're  a 
     veteran  in a small town your chances of enjoying your freedom are 
     about  25  to 50 percent  greater than they are in cities  with  a 
     large population.  And,  should you really have some extreme legal 
     difficulties,  there  are many,  many veteran organizations,  both 
     locally and nationally, that will help you prepare a good defence, 
     may  help  you  receive  treatment for  difficulties  you've  been 
     enduring since your military service, and may effect a real change 
     in your behavior.  
       On the other hand, if you're a veteran in a large city,  or in a 
     federal  prison,  you  can be sure you'll receive treatment  "just 
     like  the  other,  non-vet,  person"  who did the same or  similar 
     thing.
     
       Equal Treatment?  Stratification?   Sure -  but in the direction 
     opposite to what I originally anticipated!  
     
       I'd be interested in reports from YOUR community, city, town and 
     state.   I've  heard so many stories of non-available services for 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 63
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     incarcerated veterans that, without documentation and reports from 
     YOU, there's not much else that can be done for these, our brother 
     and  sister  veterans  who  do NOT deserve  to  be  abandoned  nor 
     forgotten!
     






















































     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 64
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                   VVA Supports Incarcerated Vet Service
                           Input by: Joyce Flory
               NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
     
     [Note from Joyce:  This was sent to me by Ron Triplett in Mich.]
     
                       VETERANS AFFAIRS RESOLUTIONS
     
                          INCARCERATED BENEFITS,
                          OUTREACH AND COUNSELING
                                V - 1 - 89
     
       WHEREAS,  the  Department  of  Veterans  Affairs  has,  for  all 
     practical   purposes,   no  policy  whatsoever  for  provision  of 
     benefits, services or guidance to incarcerated veterans ; and, 
       WHEREAS,  incarcerated  veterans,  because  of  their  detention 
     status,  are  unable to directly avail themselves of available DVA 
     services; and,
       WHEREAS, the DVA has been reluctant and unwilling to enter penal 
     institutions to provide services; and,
       WHEREAS,  there  is  a  clear need for  counseling  and  medical 
     services for incarcerated veterans such as readjustment and Post - 
     traumatic  Stress Disorder (PTSD)  counseling,  disability  rating 
     examinations, prosthetic services and benefits counseling; and,
       WHEREAS, the disability compensation of incarcerated veterans is 
     reduced   without   benefit  of  advising  these   veterans   that 
     unavailable  compensation benefits may be apportioned to a spouse; 
     and,
       WHEREAS,  provision  of counseling and services to  incarcerated 
     veterans  can  be expected to reduce the rate of recidivism  among 
     these veterans; therefore be it 
       RESOLVED that the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.  at National 
     Convention  in Chicago,  Illinois,  August 3 -  6  1989,  supports 
     legislation  to  establish a DAV policy requiring that  counseling 
     benefits  and medical service be provided to incarcerated veterans 
     with  a particular emphasis on counseling for PTSD ;  and ,  be it 
     finally
       RESOLVED  that  the VVA calls upon the states to  initiate  PTSD 
     treatment  programs  in penal institutions as required  to  comply 
     with  the  eighth amendment to the United States  Constitution  in 
     sheltering  the  incarcerated  from cruel and  unusual  punishment 
     stemming from denial of appropriate medical treatment.
     
















     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 65
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     Operation Self-Help for Incarcerated Vets
     
     (Note from Joyce... This is the first part in a two part series on 
     how one prison is proposing to deal with PTSD without benefit of 
     any agencies or government funds. This program was sent to me by 
     Ron Triplett, I can only hope it can help others start their own 
     self-help groups.)
     
                        VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA
                          INCARCERATED CHAPTER 31
                           2400 S. Sheridan Road
                         Muskegon, Michigan 49442
     
                             February 26, 1990
             
     PROGRAM PROPOSAL
     "OPERATION SELF-HELP"  A VIETNAM VETERANS POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS 
     DISORDER/SUBSTANCE ABUSE SELF-AWARENESS PROGRAM FOR INCARCERATED 
     VETERANS.
     
     COORDINATORS: 
     HOYT FONGER, VOLUNTEER, MUSKEGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR
     RONALD G. TRIPLETT, VVA CHAIRMAN, PEER COUNSELOR
     THOMAS W. SIEMONEIT, VVA VICE-CHAIRMAN, PEER COUNSELOR
     DANNY D. MCKAY, VVA SECRETARY, PEER COUNSELOR
     
     I. TITLE AND PURPOSE
        A. This is a proposal to establish a Vietnam Veterans Self- 
           Awareness Program at the Muskegon Correctional Facility, 
           Muskegon, Michigan. The program purpose is to effectively 
           improve upon the dual diagnosis symptoms that are directly 
           related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and 
           Substance Abuse among Incarcerated Vietnam Veterans, as 
           defined in the American Psychiatric Association's 
           "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," 
           Third Edition - Revised, 1987.
           1. This program is to provide a atmosphere of self-worth, by 
              encouraging development of a group identity and an area 
              for maintaining information about PTSD, Substance Abuse 
              and other Veteran's issues.
           2. This program seeks not to compete or conflict with the 
              existing substance abuse treatment modality, but instead, 
              to augment it by offering self-awareness for PTSD to 
              those in substance abuse treatment program. We will work 
              with the existing structure by adding the other dimension 
              needed to address the dual diagnosis of the incarcerated 
              veteran.
           3. This group will be meeting on Mondays, from 1:00 P.M. to 
              3:00 P.M. in the School Building, and will be under the 
              supervision of the School Officer and under the direction 
              of the Group Coordinator Hoyt Fonger.
           4. The effectiveness of this program in meeting its purpose 
              will be evaluated following a 90-day trial period, and 
              will be reported in the VVA Quarterly Report.
        B. The essential feature of this disorder is the development of 
           characteristic symptoms following a psychologically 
           distressing event that is outside the range of usual human 
           experience. The stressor producing this syndrome would be 
           markedly distressing to almost anyone, and is usually 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 66
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

           experienced with intense fear, terror, and helplessness by 
           the characteristic symptoms that involve re-experiencing the 
           traumatic event, avoidance of stimuli associated with 
           numbing of general responsiveness, and increased arousal. 
           (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 
           309.89 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Third Edition 1987. 
           Washington D.C., American Psychiatric Association)
           1. The most common traumata involve either a serious threat 
              to one's life or physical integrity; a serious threat or 
              harm to one's children, spouse, or other close relative 
              and friends; sudden destruction of one's home or 
              community; or seeing another person who has recently 
              been, or is being, seriously injured or killed as the 
              result of an accident or physical violence. In some cases 
              the trauma may be learning about a serious threat or harm 
              to a close friend or relative.
           2. The traumatic event can be re-experienced in a variety of 
              ways. Commonly the person has recurrent and intrusive 
              recollections of the event or recurrent distressing 
              dreams during which the event is re-experienced. In rare 
              instances there are dissociative states lasting from a 
              few seconds to several hours, or even days during which 
              components of the event are relived, and the person 
              behaves as though experiencing the event at that moment.
           3. Persistent symptoms of increased arousal that were not 
              present before the trauma include difficulty falling or 
              staying asleep (recurrent nightmare during which the 
              traumatic event is relived are sometimes accompanied by 
              middle or terminal sleep disturbances), hypervigilance, 
              and exaggerated startle response. Some complain of 
              difficulty in concentrating or in completing tasks. Many 
              report changes in aggression. In mild cases this may take 
              the form of irritability with fears of losing control. In 
              more severe forms, particularly in cases in which the 
              survivor has actually committed acts of violence (as in 
              war veterans), the fear is conscious and pervasive, and 
              the reduced capacity for modulation may express itself in 
              unpredictable explosions of aggressive behavior or a 
              inability to express angry feelings.
           4. Symptoms characteristic of Post-traumatic Stress 
              Disorder, or physiologic reactivity, are often 
              intensified or precipitated when the person is exposed to 
              situations or activities that resemble or symbolize the 
              original trauma.
              a. Symptoms of depression and anxiety are common, and in 
                 some instances may be sufficiently severe to be 
                 diagnosed as an Anxiety or Depressive Disorder.
              b. Impulsive behavior can occur, such as suddenly 
                 changing place of residence, (moving from the 
                 community to be placed in prison, moving from 
                 institution to institution), unexplained absences, 
                 (skipping work or school assignments, being late for 
                 appointments), or other changes in ones life style, 
                 (death in family, divorce, family life).
     
     II. JUSTIFICATION
        A. Approximately three million veterans served in Vietnam, of 
           which 57,000 were killed and 153,000 were wounded or injured   
           (Presidential Review Memorandum on Vietnam Era Veterans, 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 67
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

           H.R. Rep. No. 38, 96th Congress, 1st Session 12 1979).
           1. Many psychological and behavioral problems existing among 
              Vietnam veterans may be attributed to PTSD. Although 
              estimates of the number of Vietnam combat veterans who 
              suffer from PTSD vary from as few as 500,000 to as many 
              as 1,500,000, it has become so increasingly clear that a 
              substantial number of those who served in Vietnam 
              continue to feel the psychological after-effects to their 
              wartime experiences (Stress Disorders Among Vietnam 
              Veterans: Theory Research and Treatment, Figley & 
              LeVantman ed.
           2. Approximately 20% of the inmate population in the Bureau 
              of Prisons are veterans of the Military forces, (Bureau 
              of Justice Statistics Bulletin, February, 1981).
           3. Most veterans are serving sentences for crimes of 
              violence, leading to concerns over issues of impulse and 
              anger control (U.S. Veterans Administration Annual 
              Report, 1979).
              a. At the time of commission of offense, more than 25% of 
                 incarcerated veterans were under the influence of 
                 alcohol or drugs.
              b. More pertinent, and frightening, is the realization on 
                 the part of many americans that more Vietnam veterans 
                 have died as a result of alcohol-related car accidents 
                 and suicides than actually died in Vietnam.
        B. Since the Official end of the Vietnam era on April 30,1975, 
           the incidence of what psychologists have come to call PTSD 
           has actually increased. According to a recent study released 
           by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia, 
           15% of all Vietnam Veterans suffer from some form of PTSD 
           (The National Commission on Correctional Health Care, Vol 2, 
           Issue 4, October, 1988).
           1. The extensive criminal histories many prison inmates 
              report are often accompanied by equally long histories of 
              drug use. About four-fifths of the inmates in prison in 
              1986 reported use of an illegal drug in the past.  It is 
              reported that 35% of the inmates said they were under the 
              influence of a drug at the time of their current offense, 
              and 43% were using drugs daily in the month before the 
              offense. (Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, 
              January 1988).
              a. One area where there is great hope of dealing with the 
                 problems of readjustment back into society , is the 
                 precise area not available to incarcerated Vietnam 
                 veterans here at MCF.
              b. Incarcerated Vietnam veterans cannot go to Vet 
                 Centers, incarcerated veterans do not have access 
                 Psychologists (UNLESS THEY ARE RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR 
                 SOME OTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM), who are familiar 
                 with P.T.S.D. symptomology, nor do they have the 
                 network of fellow veterans available to whom they can 
                 at least talk, with whom they can share some 
                 fundamental experiences.
              c. Given these seemingly enormous handicaps, it is highly 
                 likely that incarcerated actually exacerbates the 
                 problems attendant to P.T.S.D., making it even more 
                 difficult for a Vietnam veteran to reacclimate himself 
                 to life in America.
     
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 68
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     III. RESPONSIBILITY
        A. It is proposed that Hoyt Fonger, Volunteer - MCC College 
           Instructor, be designated as the "OPERATION SELF-HELP" 
           Coordinator at Muskegon Correctional Facility, Muskegon, 
           Michigan.
           1. The Coordinator is responsible for overall management of 
              the program, including:
              a. Assuring that only VERIFIED Vietnam in-country and Era 
                 veterans participate in actual group sessions, (i.e. 
                 DD-214, Discharge Certificate),
              b. Providing on-going supervision of all program 
                 personnel, (i.e. Community Volunteers, staff),
              c. Maintaining an Institution Waiting List for inmates 
                 referred to or volunteering for the program,
              d. Coordinating official correspondence regarding the 
                 program and its progress.
        2. The Coordinator is responsible for utilizing resources 
           outside of the Bureau of Prisons for staff training and 
           other materials, including :
              a. Veterans Administration
              b. Vietnam Veterans of America
              c. Other volunteer self-help organizations
        3. The Coordinator will supervise and support the "Peer 
           Counselors."  Peer Counselors are Vietnam Veterans who have 
           had some experience with PTSD and Substance Abuse Treatment, 
           who have been trained to assist other veterans in the areas 
           of self-awareness.
              a. Peer Counselor training included a Certificate for 
                 Satisfactorily Completing 10 Months of Post-Traumatic 
                 Stress Disorder Peer Counseling and Substance Abuse 
                 Counseling for Self-Awareness.
              b. Peer Counselors could run the "Self-Awareness Group" 
                 or even assist with individual counseling at the 
                 discretion of the Coordinator.
        4. The Coordinator will ensure that all personal information is 
           held in strict confidence except in situations of threat of 
           bodily harm to self or others, or threat of significant 
           property damage. The Coordinator is responsible for 
           informing all participating inmates of the limits to 
           confidentially.
        5. Inmates with critical, medical, neurological, or psychiatric 
           needs will not be included in the program, and will be  
           referred to appropriate sources for needed treatment.
        6. Inmates participating in this group will be expected to 
           follow ALL Rules regulating conduct within the Department of 
           Corrections and MCF. Any other conduct by a group member is 
           strictly prohibited.
        7. This program is not intended to be used for diagnostic 
           purposes, other than is necessary to determine 
           appropriateness of including an individual to participate. 
           The group will not be used for diagnosis of PTSD for 
           sentenced inmates preparing litigation, or as a mitigating 
           circumstance for criminal offenses or sentence rendered.
     
     PROGRAM PRINCIPLES
       "OPERATION SELF-HELP" is a Self-help Program designed to 
     effectively improve upon the symptoms that are directly related to 
     PTSD and Substance Abuse among Incarcerated Vietnam Veterans. This 
     Program was created for Vietnam Veterans by Vietnam Veterans and 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 69
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     should not be interpreted as to be receiving a professional 
     diagnosis or professional treatment. This Program falls under the 
     direction and guidelines established for Inmate Self-Help Programs 
     by the Michigan Department of Corrections. 
     
     Respectively,
     
     Ronald G. Triplett                 Ron Cole
     Peer Counselor                     MCF VVA Coordinator
     VVA Chairman                       VVA Chapter #31
     VVA Chapter #31                    Cedar, ARUM
     2400 South Sheridan Rd.            2400 South Sheridan Rd.
     Muskegon, MI 49442
     
     Thomas W. Siemonet                 Danny D. McKay
     VVA Vice - Chairman                VVA Secretary
     Peer Counselor                     Peer Counselor
     
     Gordon Bush                        H. Gary Wells
     Dir. Prisoners Services            Warden
     Muskegon Correctional Facility     Muskegon Correctional Facility 
     
     [Next months installment will be the questionnaires and  
      evaluations needed [for/]from this program.]
     


































     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 70
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                      "Caring" - from the inside out!
                          Input by: Joyce Flory
               NamVet's Incarcerated Veterans Section Editor
                    Desert Dolphin BBS - Las Cruces, NM
                              (505) 523-2811
     
     [These just in from the James River C.C.R.'s Oct. - Dec. 1990 
     newsletter...  Joyce]
     
                             "THE SILENT ONES"
                      Joseph "Thundercloud" Huggins "
       I  returned  from Vietnam in February,  1969.  I returned to  a
     chaotic  world  in  which the family structure was  ripped  apart, 
     returned  to  a family who would become silent when I spoke  about 
     Vietnam.  I was alone in a world that neither cared nor understood 
     what I had done,   why I went,  what I had seen,   why I came back
     alive and how I survived.  My honor was no longer the issue, being
     a SOLDIER was.
       I  became angry.  I had been cheated and sold out.  There was no 
     purpose in my life,   my country,  or  the people around me.  So I
     alienated  and  withdrew into a silent world.  My anger led me  to 
     kill 19 years ago --  and so,   I began living two hells.  The one
     within  brought  me to the brink of destroying myself.  I have  so 
     much  pain and hurt of things I saw and did.  I cannot even  think 
     about them. I am unsure if I can ever put voice to them.
       Perhaps  my  silence  is over and my feelings of  feeling  dead-
     wounded,  and  missing is at end.   With the "Rap Group Sessions," 
     when  a  man is speaking I do not have to look in his face to  see 
     his pain. I hear it in his voice and words.
       It  is a struggle within each man to come forward with the  pain 
     and hurt that has laid dormant since his return. It is not easy to 
     speak about something that has been hurting us all these years. We 
     have  begun our struggle to return within ourselves.  That is  why 
     our  hurt and pain has pulled us together again as one.  We  fight 
     this  "war within" among ourselves.  We had no choice.  We are not 
     silent  nor alone anymore.  We have begun a  journey...  "Together 
     Again As One"
     
                                 "OPINION~
                            By: Le Roi (Mason)
       I feel that we have lost (rescued)  the most valuable asset that 
     this chapter has to date. Joseph "Thundercloud" Huggins,  has been 
     released  from the chains of Virginia's penal system.  He did  not 
     receive a rousing round of applause,  nor a big-bashing party,  or 
     even  a  group "thank you".  There was no gold watch,  not even  a 
     dipping  of the flag.  You see,  it was unsafe for us to give  him 
     such a send off -- too  sensitive.  But now that he has across the 
     LD  and  the element of surprise is no longer a concern it  is  my 
     opinion  that  there are many of us here that will now cry out  to 
     that was-is our brother, "You Are Our Hero",  and we know that you 
     will represnt us well in your mission. Base-camp is alive with the 
     things  you left behind for us to do,  and part of our mission  is 
     not to let you down.  As we break camp and pick up your trail,  we 
     will be just as careful to leave a trail as fine as that which you  
     leave  for  us.  Be at Peace O'  Warrior Brother.  (From The  Real 
     Warroirs)
       To the loyal friends of Joe, and 486, we are grateful to each 
     one of you for being there for our Brother, and while we know that 
     Joe is not the first that you were there for, we know that you 
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 71
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     will find yhe greatest reward in all that he has been to us, and 
     what he will be to and for you, individually and professionally. 
     Our  mission  here  is to try to produce more  soldiers  of  Joe's 
     calibur  (as we cmae  to know him and believe about him),  and  we 
     need you and others to be there for us as we too cross the LD into 
     the  land  of  freedom  and opportunity  to  be  rejuvenated  into 
     humanity. We will work it out -- Le Roi (Mason) " 
     
                    "A SALUTE TO OUR GOLD STAR MOTHERS"
                            By: Gordon Cawthorn  
       We  have  just  completed  a successful fund  raising  drive  to 
     finance  a  trip  to  the  Vietnam  Veterans'  Memorial  Wall,  in 
     Washington D.C.,  for a Gold Star Mother.  The mother we chose was 
     Mrs. Evelyn Barbour.  Through my relationship with Evelyn,  I have 
     found her to be a very strong and caring person.  She lost her son 
     in Vietnam on August 27, 1968. His name was Jimmy II. She recently 
     lost her husband who served 21 years in the U.S.A.F.  Jimmy II had 
     a  son which he never got a chance to see.  Evelyn says he is just 
     like  his  dad and she is so proud of him.  Evelyn lives in  South 
     Richmond and has another  son named Wayne. She thanks God everyday 
     that  she still has him.  He is such a big comfort to her.  In our 
     correspondence,  Evelyn  says  it makes her proud and sad to be  a 
     Gold  Star  Mother.  Proud  because her son was so brave  and  sad 
     because she lost him.  Evelyn tells me that she is so proud of her 
     vets,  that she loves them all very much,  and that their families 
     are her family. We feel the same towards Evelyn.  We love her very 
     much and she will always be a part of our family.
     
       Gold  Star Mothers are mothers who lost their sons or  daughters 
     in the line of duty during WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and other 
     strategic  areas  while  on military assignment or who died  as  a 
     result  of  such service.  Their purpose and activities are  many. 
     Here are a few: 
        1. Promoting individual service to the community , state and 
             nation.
        2. Assisting veterans of all wars and their dependents.
        3. Inspiring patriotism and respect for our Country.
     
       Gold  Star Mothers give thousands of volunteer hours to  Veteran 
     Hospitals  and  organizations that aid veterans.  By  helping  the 
     survivors, they honor the memerory of their lost loved ones. In my 
     research, I was surprised to find there isn't a Gold Star Mother 
     Chapter in Richmond. It only takes five mothers to form one and I 
     would love to see one started.  Interested mothers can contact:
              Ms. Emogene M. Cupp (President of G.S.M. Inc.)
                            5805 Piedmont Drive
                          Alexandria , VA , 22310
     











     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 72
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990



     =================================================================
                       H e a r t s   n '   M i n d s
     =================================================================

                            NOT SOON TO FORGET
                             By: Gordon Giroux
                           Input by: Pete Farias
                        Namvet Editorial Assistant
                  Berkshire Estates BBS - Pittsfield, MA
                               (413)499-1327
     
       It's been 25 years since I did my time in the Vietnam War. The 
     nights of waking in a cold sweat have finally passed. The dreams 
     return from time to time, but I've grown used to them by now. You 
     would think after 25 years the memories of a very unpopular war 
     would have faded into the past. You would think that in time the 
     emotional wounds would heal. If it had been another war, maybe. 
       You could spend a lifetime trying to make others understand, but 
     the only ones who really understand are the men and women who 
     served in what I call our own personal hell. 
       I talk about Nam, read books, and see movies about it every 
     chance I get. I don't want to forget. I don't want to forget the 
     friends I made or the ones I lost. It was, is, and always will be 
     an important factor in the way I think today.
       If nothing else it taught me that war is not prejudice. War will 
     take the life of son's, daughters, husbands, fathers, and even 
     children. Color, race, or religion mean nothing. In any war people 
     die, Men and women who lay their lives on the line for what they 
     believe in.
       A  lot of people in this country take their freedom for granted. 
     They  have no idea what it's like to not have that freedom because 
     there  has  always  been  someone  to  fight  the  Hitler's,   the 
     Khrushchev's, Ho Chi Min's, and Hussein's of the world who would like 
     to take that freedom from us.
       Vietnam Veterans like myself have fought for these beliefs,  and 
     all  we  ever wanted when we came home was to be treated with  the 
     same  respect  and understanding that Veterans from previous  wars 
     received. That's all we asked then, and that's all we ask now.
       I've  been  asked by many "If you had it to do all  over  again, 
     would you?"
       My answer--- "You're Damn Right I Would!"
     

















     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 73
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                    Lets NOT let history repeat itself!
                               By Don Purvis
                   (In the VIETNAM_VETS EchoConference)
                         LSO Systems - Everett WA 
                              (206) 743-3489 
     
     Every  now and then I read here [VIETNAM_VETS]  about the "liberal 
     do-gooders"  of  the  sixties  and how bad  they  were  (are?).  I 
     strongly  suspect most of these missles were written by those  who 
     were still in grade or high school when the protests began.
     
     I  see  little written here by those who were in SEA in the  EARLY 
     60's.  Those  who lived in the hotels of Saigon and left daily  on 
     "routine"  patrols.  For those who write of the "liberals"  let me 
     tell you about them.
     
     In  the  early 60's,  the Viet-nam situation was a  divided  camp. 
     Those  serving in the military of the time would either  volunteer 
     to go (chance for promotion, medals,  get out of a bad outfit)  or 
     they  would  move  heaven  and  hell  to  stay  where  they  were. 
     Retirements  were the order of the day whenever SEA orders hit the 
     post.
     
     As  time passed,  the hero concept took on a new light.  Men  were 
     coming  back  from Viet-Nam with a different look.  Most had  been 
     exposed to a new kind of battle,  not only in the jungles.  It had 
     become  a political war,  a war where the enemy was truth,  a  war 
     where  the  body count was padded for the sake of looking good  on 
     Officer Efficiency Reports. The war had changed. American soldiers 
     were  being  killed  and/or wounded  in  increasing  numbers.  The 
     efforts  of the political machinery in Washington could no  longer 
     convince  the  public of their given reason our boys  were  dying. 
     Classified  information  concerning build-up costs  (and  reasons) 
     began being leaked to the press. 
     
     Slowly,  the  youth  of  the time became  convinced  the  Viet-Nam 
     conflict  was  unjust and immoral.  They wanted no part of it  and 
     began  what  was  to  become the protest years  of  the  Woodstock 
     generation.  (Remember  the little ditty sung by Joe  Cocker..."be 
     the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box"?) 
     The  new  generation tried to tell the elders that it was time  to 
     stop this carnage but Mom &  Dad wouldn't listen.  So the kids let 
     their  hair  grow...and started marching!  They began the  battles 
     that  eventually  ended  the  conflict and  brought  the  American 
     Soldier home.  Liberals?  Not necessarily.  People who believed in 
     the  American  Dream and way of life?  Most assuredly.  They  were 
     willing  to  do battle to get our guys home,  and they  did.  They 
     battled  police and the military.  The press and the  politicians. 
     The  message was clear in those days,  end the war!  The confusion 
     came because those same kids could not understand why the soldiers 
     didn't  protest the war right along with them.  This was the cause 
     of a lot of the "anger"  against those in uniform in the late 60's 
     and early 70's.
     
     Some soldiers did protest and were summarily arrested, tried,  and 
     convicted  of  "failure  to  obey a lawful  order  of  a  superior 
     officer.  Few  were aware of how the entire trial was planned  and 
     executed  BEFORE they were even arrested.  How the basic rights of 
     those first three men were openly violated.
     
     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 74
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

     
     Once again our politicians are sending our soldiers off to die for 
     a  (perhaps secret)  cause.  The very soldiers (Read that Soldier, 
     Sailor, Marine,  or Airman)  that served with honor 25+  years ago 
     now find their sons and daughters are treading the same paths they 
     walked  at  that age.  The difference is the older folks  are  now 
     doubting  the  reasons  where  in the 60's it was  the  other  way 
     around.  As  Veterans,  instead  of attempting to label those  who 
     protested,  we  should try to understand their justifications and, 
     perhaps join in the protests to the possible deaths of some 25,000 
     American lives in the deserts of the Persian Gulf.
     
     If we don't speak out, who will?
     













































     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 75
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                          Is EVERYVET "not well"?
                           By: David Kirschbaum
                         Date: 18 Nov 90 14:19:42
                The  F e d e r a l  Post - Fayetteville, NC
                              (9190 436-2055
     
      TM> the popularity of the conflict. I pray that the healing you
      TM> so richly deserve comes soon! 
      TM>                                         Thomas A. Mick 
      TM>  * Origin: 1st Special Forces - First in SE Asia (1:105/204) 
      
     Ah, an Okie Rat, eh?  Heh .. the stories I used to hear ... 
      
     But a question here:  I THINK it's Michael Mccoombs I've been 
     chatting with for a while now (swapping war stories).  The recon 
     guy, right?  I didn't notice him asking for or appearing to need 
     any healing!  (Well, maybe a little problem waking up from 
     unrecalled bad dreams .. but he's dealing with that just fine, so 
     it appears.  And that little souvenir was a VERY small point in 
     our conversation.) 
      
     He seemed to be pretty together, matter of fact:  anyone who 
     enjoys rat jokes can't be TOO unhealthy! (But only SF guys would 
     sympathize with THAT viewpoint!)  (And maybe a few SEALs.) 
      
     If my assumption is correct (that Mike is ok) and you are NOT 
     showing some sort of supernatural perceptiveness (e.g., that Mike 
     is NOT ok) ..  that reveals a VERY dominant theme or attitude on 
     this Echo [VIETNAM_VETS]:  that EVERYBODY who ever had a tour in 
     SE Asia (call that group "EVERYVET") is mentally ill!  And 
     EVERYVET who hasn't gone around the bend yet .. well, it's just a 
     matter of time until they do ..  And that EVERYVET on this Echo is 
     looking for (or at the very least, desperately needing) sympathy, 
     help, guidance, rebirth, etc.! 
      
     This may be a knee-jerk overreaction .. but I keep seeing this 
     attitude!  Hey, guys, I'm just fine!  Ain't killed nobody in .. 
     gee .. must be weeks and weeks now.  No bad dreams.  No drug 
     habit.  No overwhelming desires to climb a clock tower with a 
     30-30.  (Well, only occasionally.)  Don't really hate ANYONE 
     (except those g*ddamned North Korean murderers from that little 
     tree-cutting episode at Panmunjon .. may all the demons of hell 
     chew on THEIR souls, yea, even unto the tenth generation ...) 
      
     Like my buddy Wojo and I keep wondering .. are we missing 
     something obvious here? 
      
                     <Assume duck&weave mode ... NOW!>
     










     NAM VET Newsletter                                        Page 76
     Volume  4, Number 12                           December 14, 1990

                         The Veteran Today (1986)
                              By: Tony Bliss
               In 2/86 Edition of "Back to Battle: Vietnam"
                         Input by: G. Joseph Peck
                         NamVet's Managing Editor
                  VETLink #1 - Pittsfield, Massachusetts
                              (413) 443-6313
     
       "When  I came home from Vietnam I found that all my friends were 
     still  worried  about  what color Alpaca sweater to  wear  to  the 
     football game.   I couldn't identify with that.   I felt something 
     was dramatically changed.  I felt isolated."
       Isolation,  bitterness,  depression -  hallmarks of Post Delayed 
     Stress Disorder (PDSD)  -  are familiar to Frank Norris,  a former 
     infantry sergeant with the 101st Airborne Division in 1966-67.
       But  contrary to the image of the Vietnam veteran foisted on the 
-- 
#L.W. Jewell Moderator at the Veterans Information Site (veteran@cc.purdue.edu)#
#& WWII-L Listowner: "Sunday's horoscope is note worthy because of its strange,#
#sudden and wholly unpredictable and inexplicable occurrences, affecting all   #
#phases of life." "Your Horoscope" L.A. Evening Herald Express, Sat, 12/06/41  #
Newsgroups: soc.veterans