Military to civilian life transition, part 1

Veterans’ Voices is directed toward veterans and their families who have given so much to ensure our freedom in this country. This is an area where you may share your experiences, or read of other veterans’ experiences. We thank you for your service, and hope that you know how much you are loved and appreciated.

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For the last couple nights, I would go to sleep and wake up jumping out of the recliner.

Most nights I sleep in my recliner because I have sleep apnea and nightmares, and I do not want to keep waking up my wife all night long. So today, I was sitting here in my office at home, and it just hit me like a strike of lightning.

It was around the middle of March in 1970, that my first buddy in Vietnam was killed, so I figured that was the reason for the nightmares. That was something that I will never forget. It was like slow motion when it happened.