D. J. Poulton 2020 | Ormeau | Queensland | Australia|
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DAVO’S HOME PAGE FOR
VIETNAM VETERANS
Family Wreckage - Post Vietnam
You
have
probably
gathered,
if
you
have
reached
this
page
after
reading
the
rest,
that
life
was
a
tad
tedious
after
returning
from
Vietnam.
My
family
suffered
immensely,
through
no
fault
of
their
own.
They
became
the
focus
of
my
anger,
my
frustration
and
my
drinking.
My
wife
and
I
fought
(not
all
the
time),
but
I
really
didn't
give
her
much
to
be
thankful
for.
She
suffered
her
own
PTSD
from
the
Vietnam
War
-
ME!
Our
marriage
was
rocky
to
say
the
least.
When
I
was
out
of
hospital
she
would
be
in
hospital.
She
carried
me
when
I
was
incapable
of
carrying
myself.
She
was
my
strength
and
I
was
destroying
her.
She
had
every
reason
to
leave
and
take
the
boys
with
her,
but
she
didn't.
I
left
a
trail
of
wreckage
behind
me.
Was
I
justified?
-
NO!
I
didn't
have
a
clue
what
was
happening
to
me
and
no
one
could
tell
me
or
explain
it
to
me
and
that
didn't
make
it
right.
My
wife
and
children
did
not
deserve
what
I
dished
out
to
them
-
no
way!
Even
today
I
hear
of
veterans
who
are
still
living
as
I
lived
from
1967
and
on.
We
were
young,
and
the
War
changed
us.
How
many
times
have
you
heard,
"He
was
so
nice
before
he
left,
but
he
came
back
changed
-
he's
not
the
same
person
-
he's
not
nice
to
be
around."
We
may
have
destroyed
our
families
through
events
in
relationship
breakdown
after
returning
to
Australia,
but
it
doesn't
have
to
be
like
that
until we depart planet earth.
There
is
much
to
be
done
in
restoring
family
relations
generally
in
the
Veteran
community.
It
is
never
too
late,
and
I
realise
that
for
some
it
has
been
finalised.
I
know
a
veteran
whose
son
hasn't
spoken
to
his
father
in
over
two
years
because
he
thinks
his
father
has
lost
the
plot.
His
dad
hasn't
-
dad
has
just
come
to
realise
he
has
PTSD.
He
suffers
other
physical
disabilities,
but
the
tragedy
is
the
brokenness
of
relationship
between
a
father
and
his
son
-
these
are
the
unseen
wounds
of
Vietnam
that
I
believe
need
healing and no amount of Government legislation will accomplish that.
My
wife
should
have
suffered
long
term
after
effects
of
the
shock
treatment
she
was
given-
she
didn't!
My children should have disowned me - they didn't! I should have terminated - I didn't!
The
real
tragedy
is
that
many
veterans
do
not
yet
know
of
the
help
that
is
there
for
them,
their
partner
and
their
children.
It
wasn't
until
some
28
years
down
the
track
that
I
finally
was
able
to
plug
into
the
system
and
receive
the
help
that
I
needed.
Mate,
if
you
have
been
reading
the
pages
of
this
site
and
can
identify
with
my
life's
story
of
life
after
the
Vietnam
War,
and
you
know
you
need
help
to
climb
out
of
the
bunker
you
find
yourself
in,
then
give
Open
Arms
-
Veterans
&
Families
Counselling
or
call
1800
011
046. Why not speak to a ‘digger’ mate and ask for help in taking that first step to regaining your life.
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Same War, Different Battlefield