I know that there are a lot of us out there. I have a small circle of Kriegsbruders to talk to and it helps a lot. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer of us every year. PTSD never goes away completely, but it can and does diminish over time if you deal with it properly. Find a friend, find a circle. Talk about it. Share. Cry together if you need to. Don't try to suppress it, don't try to kill it with drugs or alcohol.
Tripped one of my triggers the other day and haven't slept well for the last three nights. I really, really hate waking up to the nightmares. First time in about a decade.
FIDO!!
For my Kriegsbruder JeanPierre 362; allons, aux la bayonette!! Tuesday is Camerone Day. Salutations to all legionaires etrangeres, past and present.
Laurence Binyon
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted:
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
I just posted a new story "Chicken Dance", second in the series "War Stories".
Like "Private Schmedlapp", it is written in the first person voice. Both of these are from my life, but other stories to come will not be. Never the less, they will be written in the first person, because I suck at writing when I try to use third person voice.