John Young's Life In Vietnam

John Young is a United States Army veteran who fought in the Vietnam War from 1966-1969. During his tour in Vietnam, he formed close bonds with his unit and witnessed the horrors of war, including the deaths of many of his friends. Witnessing these events led John to develop PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When he returned from the war, his dependence on alcohol, which he acquired to help him sleep, developed into full-fledged alcoholism. He became haunted by the deaths he had witnessed in Vietnam approximately 8,500 miles away from the United States. He found that when he returned, no one understood what he had been through, and no one seemed to care. With his PTSD and isolation from society, his dependence on alcohol grew every year

throughout his life until he went to treatment through the VA in 1985. Later in his life, when he learned that the VA now recognized PTSD as a disability, he received psychiatric treatment to help him cope with the war. His story is told in the book The Boys of ‘67: Charlie Company’s War in Vietnam.
John Young’s experience is like that of most all other Vietnam veterans. John and others like him felt a heightened sense of patriotism and desire to serve their country when they heard about the potential war in Vietnam. John dropped out of college to enlist in the army and asked his commissions officer specifically if he could ensure that he fought in Vietnam. John was inspired by President John F. Kennedy, who in his inaugural address challenged America’s youth to serve their country and the greater good. He stated “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” This message inspired John so much that he knew that if there was a war he would jump at the chance to serve. This feeling was reinforced after John heard the news of President Kennedy’s assassination. As tensions built in Vietnam, John made his choice to drop out of the University of Minnesota and enlisted in the United States Army.
While serving in Vietnam, John became close with the men in his unit.

They “trained together at Fort Riley, Kansas for 8 months before shipping out to Vietnam. In the process the men had become the closest friends, a true band of brothers.” He served with these same men throughout his entire tour, and he saw many of them shot down and blown up right before his eyes. Some of these men were killed and others were severely wounded. The death that affected John Young the most was that of Benny Bridges. Benny was John’s RTO and the two were practically inseparable. One day, the unit was waiting to be taken back to the division base. As the helicopters were inbound, Benny gave the order to prepare to move out. As John started to walk toward Benny, “a single shot rang out. [...] Trained to take out the leaders first, the sniper had waited to see who would give an order. It was Benny Bridges. The side of Bridges’ head exploded with the impact of the first round, covering John Young’s arm, which had been extended toward him, with blood and grey matter. [...] For just a moment, John Young was in shock as he watched Benny Bridges collapse next to him.” Benny’s horrific death and other events like it haunted John for the rest of his life and were responsible for his

PTSD.