SERGEANT PEPPER
Covenant in the Jungle
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I found it impossible to fit back into society after experiencing combat. In Vietnam, I had real camaraderie with those whom I fought beside. My buddies and I took care of one another in the jungles, and we took care of ourselves, we had our M-16’s always at the ready to take care of any threat. We felt secure among ourselves. We trusted one other. We loved one another.
When I came home from Vietnam, all of that was gone. I had no one to trust, because the kind of trust we earned in combat does not translate to society in general. I had no comrades to care for and no comrades to care for me.
Finding it difficult to handle my own emotions, I denied even having them. I denied that anything was wrong with me. Yet, it was obvious to others whenever they would see me jump or hit the deck whenever a car backfired. I often found myself scanning my surroundings, still looking and waiting to hear an explosion or automatic-weapon fire coming my way. I kept guarded as I watched and listened for signs of the enemy. Those combat instincts and fears do not go away easily. The fear and trembling inside never go away.
The fear of the unknown I experienced from combat led to nightmares about returning to Vietnam tour after tour. In my dreams I would tell the Army that I had already been to Vietnam, but they kept sending me back to fight anyway. I would wake up time and again with those thoughts fresh in my mind.
During the down times off the battlefield, some of us used alcohol and marijuana to have a good time and to forget about our surroundings and our fears. Booze and drugs hid the panic attacks I was experiencing then and would still experience years later.
Confronted by the fear of death and the unknown, I felt myself enveloped in a gray cloud, virtually paralyzed by a deep sense of anxiety. I noticed that in combat many of my fellow brothers reacted to stress differently on the battlefield than off. There were a few men who went crazy with fear and had to be taken off the field. There were others who put a bullet in their foot and were taken home.
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Today’s News Headlines: • Military suicides rise to a record 349, topping number of troops killed in combat By Washington Post, January 14, 2013 • Suicide Crisis Mounts For US Soldiers And Veterans, July 16, 2012 Home Headline News • Topics in Brief: Substance Abuse among the Military, Veterans, and their Families National Institute on Drug Abuse, April 2011 • One U.S. veteran attempts suicide every 80 minutes: Hidden tragedy of Afghanistan and Iraq wars Daily Mail Reporter 3 Nov. 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The above headlines caught the attention of the media in 2011, 2012 and 2013. Since that time the suicide rate in the military continues to increase. A TRUE story about Stephen Paul Campos. At the age of 19 he enlisted in the US Army as a combat infantry rifleman. From April 1968 to April 1969 he served one year tour of combat duty with the 199th. Light Infantry Brigade. Within just two weeks he and his platoon experience a “horrific” friendly-fire tragedy that shakes him to his core. Along with many other veterans he returned home with Post-traumatic stress syndrome unable to integrate fully back into society. Two decades later, on the verge of suicide, he was able to turn his life around. Mr. Campos shares his experiences in combat and struggles with PTSD while trying to transition back into civilian life. This story will bring to light the effects of post-war stress, drugs and alcohol abuse. Also, included are his personal Steps to Recovery. “You CAN Heal from the Demons of War” Gerald M. Korson - award winning journalist and editor
About the Author
Mr. Campos is a US Army service disabled veteran. He was born and raised in Modesto, California. In 1967, at the age of 19 he enlisted in the US Army and was sent to Vietnam to fight as a combat infantry rifleman. Along with many other veterans he returned from that war with Post- traumatic stress syndrome. Many Vietnam veterans in that era turned to drugs and alcohol trying to fit into society. He was one of them.
Fourteen years after returning home and on the verge of suicide he experienced a supernatural divine encounter that TURNED his life around. After that event he continued to heal and recover. He is now involved in helping veterans who need help with PTSD, alcohol, drug abuse or other issues. He is a Motivational Speaker and Life Coach. Mr. Campos lives with his wife Kathy, in Phoenix, Arizona. www.a-bout-face.com spc@a-bout-face.com