The Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote an interesting article about the VFW reaching out to younger vets:

Joshua Musser turned 19 while enduring the Marine Corps’ famed boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. By the time he was 20, the Lawrenceville resident was fighting in the streets of Fallujah.

An artillery specialist, Musser lost hearing in his left ear from the big guns’ blasts during that 2004 battle, considered the bloodiest of the Iraq War. He sustained a serious head injury fleeing a missile. And he saw things that haunt him still: body parts lying on the ground, headless children. Musser returned with post-traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD.

“When I got home, I was really screwed up,” unable to sleep and stricken with panic attacks, said Musser. “I could have just stayed in my room and never gone out.”

Compounding his problems: Musser was having trouble getting the care he needed from the Veterans Administration. He contacted the office of his congressman, Rep. John Linder, asking for help. A Linder staffer who promised to direct him to treatment also suggested he contact the VFW.

On a Saturday afternoon five years ago, Musser walked into Post 5255 in Lawrenceville, unsure of what to expect. “I thought it would be a bingo hall,” he said.

Instead, said Musser, it was his salvation.

Men with lined faces looked up. Veterans from World War II, Korea and Vietnam, the men listened to the young one recount his war – with the enemy, with his memories. As he talked, Musser relaxed. His hosts may have been older, he knew, but they shared a bond.

“It was the most incredible moment of my life,” said Musser, who credits the post with helping him keep PTSD in check. “It made me realize I had a place to go. I knew this would be a healthy place for me.”

Read the full article here.