I'm seeing those eye's again!

[Boats]

Remember the eye's on those coming back from the front. They seem very wide and very little blinking. More staring out into no mans land. A friend of mine came back after his third tour in Iraq. He's only been stateside for about 6 days. Lean and standing tall but his eye's give it away.

I really feel they hussel these guys back too soon. They need time to unwind. Reaclamate
come down from all that addrenlin. Constant tension and stress make them edgy and fast movements make them twitch. I also notice that crowds bother them - that boxed in feeling or whose carrying a bomb look.

I've seen this during my VN days years ago. I recall my brother ended up in Balboa Hospital in CA. Only family they could find was me. I was called. I was taken off the line and standing by his bedside in 22 hours. Yeow I was not well.

Transition from the line to home should take about 6 weeks and orientation is needed to let them wind down.

Let me know what you think and do you remember the eye's - that was always what I would see when guys came off the line. Sorry if this brings back bad thoughts but after seeing this guy - it gave me the willy's if you know what I mean?

[darrels joy]

That reminds me of a story about Eleanor Roosevelt.

She made sure the troops took slow boats back from Europe.

[DMZ-LT]

We called it the 1000 yard stare Boats . Saw a lot of them in Vietnam and saw some on the troops in the Atlanta airport going back to war. Saw some in the mirror last night