Just Another Homeless Viet Nam Vet Story

"Ken" is a 56 year old Viet Nam vet, who served the country as a Maine. He was married, had children and divorced. Like many military personnel that served during war, he became addicted to alcohol and often turned to street drugs, to deal with the horrors he witnessed. As one vet told me, "the government forced me to eat rats, and kill people" and he "did not like to eating rats and killing people". Growing up playing Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers, or "lets pretend we are at war" games, did not prepare these just out of high school boys for the realities of blood shed. Some, like Ken came back, scarred for life.

Due to his use of alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism to dull his mind, Ken wound up homeless. Living on the streets, his habits became his full time occupation. During those 3 years on the streets, he managed to stay on the right side of the law. He was lucky not to be arrested due to illegal use of drugs. He went through a program that helped him become clean and sober. This enabled him to get a low-paying job as a Security Guard. He moved from the Sober Living home into an apartment. Sounds like a happy ending, but there is more.

The call of alcohol was too much for Ken, and "one little bottle of wine, now and then won't hurt", he thought. He only drank on his nights off, but that drinking soon caused him to think about getting high. Being under the influence of alcohol, he decided to get some amphetamines. At his age, staying awake and alert on the nightshift was a problem to him. His body was no longer able to adjust to a nocturnal existence. That's when the trouble started.

Rather then sticking to his routine of drinking on non-work days, and using the amphetamines on work nights, he used both that fateful Friday. His mind took him into a paranoid journey; "someone is out to get me".. In this state of mind, he enlisted neighbors help to try to find the people who were after him. Being a former drug user, one neighbor in the apartment complex was sympathetic. "Roger" humored him, going outside for a while to scope the sidewalks for bad guys, and then led him back to his apartment, suggesting he stay inside until the effects of the drug wore off. Of course, he was not in his right mind, and was soon roaming the hallways, knocking on other doors, seeking help against the imaginary intruders hiding in the apartment complex.

"Sheila" left the Building Managers apartment, and paused when she saw a figure on the landing below. She thought it was 64 year old, Roger leaning along the railing to catch his breath, before mounting the stairs. A brimmed hat hid his face. She took a step down. Foot paused seemingly in slow motion to take the next step, as she sees Ken swing into action. Like a policeman's "freeze" stance, his arms extended with both hands on the gun, pointing up the stairs straight at her. In a panic, she hurried back to the manager's door. Hearing Ken bounding up the stairs, she pushed the confused manager back inside; rudely, it seemed, shutting the door and locking it. They called the police and trembled as they waited for their arrival.

Ken was arrested. Unable to post bail, he awaited his court date in a prison cell.. He was found guilty, and sentenced to 5 years in jail. He is appealing the Judge's decision and demanding a trial by jury. He had no criminal record prior to his arrest and even his DMV was free of traffic violations. He feels the penalty for his behavior is excessive. Sheila does not.. What if he had pulled the trigger before she was able to back up? What if the manager had not quickly answered the door? Is there a guarantee that he won't flip a second time, and kill an innocent bystander?

His future is unwritten. What his inability to stay clean and sober cost him:

* his truck was impounded

* he was evicted

* all his possessions in the apartment were disposed of

* he lost his job

Even if he were to be released from jail tomorrow, he would find himself, once again, homeless, living on the streets with just the clothes upon his back. Many homeless people got that way by following a similar path. And, it all started when they were idealistic youths, sent to fight a war in another country.

Author note: This is a true story, the names have been changed. How do I know it is true? I am one of the neighbors that did not answer Ken's knock on the door. If I had I might have been the one that ended up in jail. That is another Post Traumatic Stress Disorder story of a different kind.