Vietnam's effects still following vet around

About the housing crunch and vets: I am a vet of the unpopular war, or was it a war somewhere in Asia? All I know was I was told I was not the same person when I got back. Not surprising, living in the jungles and seeing your friends disappear. Enough of that.

Starting around 1985, I began having problems holding jobs. I quit a job on the railroad after 14 years. I have had 20 to 30 jobs since then. In the meantime, I have had to take out loans on my house to get by, hoping to find a job and pay them off.

I finally was told by a fellow vet to go in and be tested. I was in there 15 minutes and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. I'm on meds. Veterans Affairs is doing the best it can, but the staffers say the meds are the only thing they can do now.

I am 58, and because of the meds I am on, retraining is near impossible. I tried, but I had a panic attack in the class. I hope the new vets don't have to suffer as I have for some 40 years, but I am sure they will.

FRANK SILVA

Modesto