When Veterans day and Memorial day roll around it always bring back memories of those that I knew serving as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. There were those of us that made it back and those of us that did not. The memories of the good times we had and the bad times.
Being in combat does change you perception of what a veteran would call the real world. The world of war is a place of violence and human atrocities. A world that bends the mind and brings on a darkness that can be hard to overcome. Taking yourself out of that world and back to the real world is a challenge some cannot overcome, resulting in despair and even suicide.
If you know a veteran that is coping well, a thanks is always appreciated. If you know a veteran that is not. Introduce the veteran that you know is doing well to the one that is not. You could be saving a life that was willing to die for you.