That day was a day of birth for me. Watching that second tower being struck and then the immediate explosive projection of fire, caused me to mentaly reflect back to the "Rolling Thunder" of B52's, The White Sparks of the Super heated acid chemical- "White Phosporus" and the rolling saturation of fireballs of Gasoline & liquid soap know as NAPLAM.
Yes, I was frozen and transported backward (40 years) in time. Within two weeks I was in the Veterans Administration Hospital Mental Health Unit /PTSD. They identifed my 40 year struggle with the inner demons that plauged me. It was a mild victory to finaly learn that I wasn't alone and that I was NOT CRAZY. Well I knew that all the time. You see, Everybody else, that's right, EVERYBODY ELSE had the Problem- Not Me! Anyway, Those memories tormented my soul os often and intensely, That my first book evolved, "I Can Still Hear Their Cries, Even In My Sleep...A Journey Into PTSD".
www.amazon.com/still-hear-their-cries-sleep/dp/1432704575
"A teenage US Marine Corps Corpsman left the U.S. for a tour in Southeast Asia in 1966...
Forty years later, at age sixty one . he is still fighting through depression, nightmares, and recurring flashbacks with intrusive thoughts. when he speaks of his inner demons today he states, "I Can Still hear Their Cries, Even In My Sleep".
After living in a bottle for 16+ years (I lost count), over 44 JOBS, three failed marriages and years of psychological therapy and medication...I am starting to turn my life around. My forth wife (she says "THE LAST"), and I are both students at University of Indiana Northwest.
E. Everett McFall is a high energy public speaker with a driving passion to help other Veterans. He is a active member of several non-profit Veterans service organizations.
recommend this
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 2
I still have trouble believing it happened here, and the pain you feel for all the victims and what we now call "First Responder's", is almost unbearable. All of sense of security vanished at that point. I like to think I got over it, but it sometimes creeps into my mind without prompt, and I want to cry. After all the war's, all the technology, we could not stop this, it was hard to take.
I had no idea what to say to my children, so we sat and watched it for awhile on the news, and then we turned it off. We all just sat there. My grandson asked how we could help, and I was snapped back into reality. He made me get over the shock and anger I was feeling, I will not ever forget that feeling. It is up there with JFK-Robert-and MLK-and way beyond. We all sustained a permanent scar that day. God Bless Us, Ellen B
I would be interested in your opinion of:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977173825