Quoting Les Mathson :
Steve…just wanted to tell you I just finished reading your book and it was a great read and book. I have it on my Kindle and Melanie is going to read it next. I am sure it will be very helpful to a lot of Vets and their families. Your right it must have been difficult for you to pour out your family story and your individual story of the effects of a TOXIC FAMILY due to PTSD. It is a real thing and sickness and its sad that it took til the Viet Nam War for the military and Health Care professionals to diagnose it. It is good knowing that there is a lot of good treatment for it now. It baffles me though how the military and doctors couldn’t see it a lot sooner that if a guy is in combat/war zone for any length of time that it is going to have serious effects on them especially when it is over and they come back and are thrown right into normal life again. One day I was in Nam and two days later I was out of the Army and with my duffle bag over my shoulder landed in Salt Lake City airport and Melanie met me with my son Conan who was three months old already and I was totally lost and didn’t know what to do. It took me a little over a year to get my feet back on the ground again, I was a ticking time bomb that whole time. There is nothing normal about war and unless you have been there yourself, there is no way to tell someone what its like, as well as even want to talk about it, all you want to do is FORGET ABOUT IT AS FAST AS YOU CAN and that is not even possible it will be with you the rest of your life. I can still close my eyes and be back in Nam in a heartbeat. I really feel for your Dad and the HELL he went thru for 66 months in two wars no wonder he was a ticking time bomb. I felt sorry for your brothers and sister and have a better understanding of who you are thru this expose on your life.
Thanks for mentioning my name as one of your true friends, I take that as a great compliment what you said about me and I have always admired you as a person and a fellow sales professional that had all the tools and drive for success. I better understand your drive now and your character that was intense, funny and always got the job done. So my friend I am so proud of you and know with Judy at your side your journey to healing has just begun, and am glad you are HAPPY!!!!
God Bless…..Les
