Dealing with haunting memories of war

Vietnam veterans pushing recognition of post-traumatic stress for Iraq war soldiers

By James Fuller, Daily Herald Staff Writer
Published: 11/12/2007

When Larry Van Meter returned from his first tour of duty in the Iraq war this summer, he had the pictures to prove it.

During his time in the Anbar province, he'd snapped many shots of pictures drawn in the sand, local children they gave candy to and picturesque sunsets during sandstorms.

The 20-year-old Villa Park native-turned-Marine craved views of large bodies of water and the smell of grass as his parents visited with him in San Diego, near Camp Pendleton.

And yet there was something about the pictures.

Van Meter's mom, Martha Geiseman, views them as the unseen and unappreciated aspects of Iraqi life that her maturing son is learning to appreciate. But Van Meter's dad, Dennis Geiseman, finds himself uneasy about the amount of time his son spent talking about the war during their time together.

"He was constantly showing us the pictures," Geiseman said. "Some of it was not normal, not natural. It was like he couldn't let go of it."

Geiseman would know. He's a Vietnam War veteran, only recently diagnosed as suffering from lingering effects associated with his exposure to Agent Orange.

Van Meter will return to Iraq for his second tour in January. Because of what he'll likely experience, and because of the experiences of his dad before him, veterans in Villa Park are making a pre-emptive strike.

Instead of a flag-raising today, the Villa Park Veterans of Foreign Wars post will host an information session on post-traumatic stress disorder with doctors accustomed to working with veterans.

The session comes about as Vietnam veterans ascend into leadership roles at local VFW and American Legion posts.

Terry Owens, president of the DuPage County Veterans Memorial, said perhaps unlike their World War II predecessors, they understand the danger of internalizing post-traumatic stress when coming home from an unpopular war. Owens is a Vietnam veteran.

"The one thing that emerged from Vietnam was post-traumatic stress, or at least the label of post-traumatic stress," Owens said. "It's a little more understood. Part of the mission of Vietnam veterans now is not to let what happened to us happen to these kids today. We already know the pitfalls and how awkward and uncomfortable it is to admit you've got a problem."

Indeed, the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder has an online database already filled with 140 medical studies, essays and books written about post-traumatic stress disorder experienced by Iraq veterans.

It's a phenomenon Bob Adams already is preparing himself to see more of at the Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans. Adams is a licensed clinical social worker at the Wheaton-based shelter. Half the veterans the shelter helps have had issues with post-traumatic stress.

Adams said Iraq veterans may have the toughest struggle with post-traumatic stress because they are spending more time in combat than veterans in any war since World War II.

Admitting the problem, Adams said, is half the battle. Post-traumatic stress has a stigma attached to it because it's a psychological condition, and soldiers are trained to not admit a weakness.

"Very often in combat, the only way for people to survive is to bury those feelings," Adams said. "That's the belief. You have to pack that stuff away and keep it there. It's then hard to admit to yourself, or anyone else, that you have a problem."

Adams said family and friends of veterans should approach the topic of post-traumatic stress with a sense of genuine concern.

"Make no judgment about the behavior you see," Adams said. "Talk about yourself and what you see happening. Say, 'This is what you're doing. It concerns me. It frightens me.' But some people won't respond to anything you try."

The Villa Park VFW's session will have similar information and advice for attendees at its Veterans Day session. The event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. today at VFW Post 2801, 39 E. St. Charles Road in Villa Park.

Martha and Dennis Geiseman will be there so they can support Larry when he comes home. Until then, Martha is gearing up for her son to head back to combat and collect more pictures and war experiences along the way.

"He's OK about going back," Martha said. "He's never once said 'I don't want to go,' or 'I'm not going.' He's very positive about it. And I'm OK because he's OK."

Stressed?

Have you ever had any experience that was so frightening, horrible or upsetting that in the past month, you …

1. Have had nightmares about it or thought about it when you did not want to?

2. Tried hard not to think about it or went out of your way to avoid situations that reminded you of it?

3. Were constantly on guard, watchful or easily startled?

4. Felt numb or detached from others, activities or your surroundings?

If you answered "yes" to at least three of the questions, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder.