From Vietnam to Hell

"I broke into a house, entering from the back door. When I left, two people inside were dead. I don't remember killing them, but I know I must have. All I can remember is the police chasing me. I thought I was in the jungle, with the Cong chasing me, trying to kill me before I could kill them.... I was nineteen years old and the Vietnam War was the high point in my life. I didn't come home in a body bag or a wheel chair. Even though I thought I had come home a complete person, it's evident that I didn't"--from the interview with Gary Cone.

   Interviews with Vietnam veterans and their family members explain as nothing else can the emotional consequences of wartime experiences. Many of these interviewees are now in prison as a result of the substance abuse or violence that characterizes PTSD.