Mac's Story

Mac was born in a small town in northern Indiana, near Lake Michigan. Like any normal boy growing up, he enjoyed going to the movies with his friends. One of them had a huge impact on him and, if he had known beforehand, he says he never would have seen it. The film was called, “The Green Berets”, starring John Wayne.  When it was over, Mac made his decision to join the military. If this famous movie star had been in the military, then he wanted to be in the military, and fight for his country. 

He was sixteen at the time and in the Army recruiter's office, was informed that he was too young to enlist. So, he stayed in school and waited until he turned seventeen.  He had begun to run wild, which led to his mother giving him a choice: the military or reform school.  Mac chose to join the Army and his parents signed the waiver for enlistment. 

Four months after his seventeenth birthday, he was sent to Ft. Polk, Louisiana, for his basic training.  In those days, it was common knowledge that everyone training at Ft. Polk was destined for Vietnam...

Mike's Story

My name is Michael McDonald. I was born in 1946, in a small town in Northern Indiana, with a population of about 3000. Everyone in town knew everyone else. As kids we played tag, kick the can, and Army with our friends. I didn’t get into any big trouble, because my Dad was a rather strict person. When he said jump, my only response had better be how high. My Father was not in the military, but my uncle Frank was in the Army near the end of WW II, and he was my hero. He gave me things from his time in the service that I still have today.  
My Brother Russ joined the Air Force and I had intentions of joining the Air force also, until I learned they had met their quota and I would have to accept whatever was available if someone failed to make the grade.  Since my number was getting close in the draft, and I wanted some say in what I did, I enlisted in the Army. I signed up to work on trucks, but my M.O. got changed to driving them...

Greg's Story

This contributor has requested his story be told in the first person. It is written as he told his story.
I was born in Grand Forks North Dakota, the oldest son of a W.W.II veteran who, I suspect, was also suffering from PSTD that had never been diagnosed. My father was an alcoholic with a negative attitude, and my upbringing was filled with verbal abuse. I spent my childhood fearing these verbal attacks, so my belief in myself was very low. I know this was the beginning of my own journey into PSTD. I went to see a recruiter after having an argument with my father who had told me that if I didn’t like living with him, to "get the hell out”. The recruiter told me to return in two weeks and he would give me the enlistment papers to fill out. This may have been the recruiter’s way of giving me an option to change my mind. I enlisted on September 30th 1968... 

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