Seems like forever since I last wrote for Veterans’ Voices. So busy writing legal things for a friend and trying to help him where there is no change or compassion. Yet we both fight on being the vets we are. Two different wars but death knows no difference and if exposed to enough of it you are altered forever. My friend has both TBI and PTSD and I have just PTSD because I was not blown up.

Soon----sooner than I want. Change will happen to me in a big way. I will go to a place that is beautiful and a luxury resort. It is called King Veterans Home here in Wisconsin. About 650 vets and their wives live there and it is a full care nursing facility. The stories I will be able to convey for Veterans’ Voices about these vets is endless. Many have had a stroke and can not write but they can talk just fine. Different stages of problems affect the vets. Some are young like me and so I will start a writing group. You should see their multi-media center. It has the best of everything and I am so looking forward to real computers and ease of work as I learn the new tech. Most of all I look forward to sharing with Veterans’ Voices what these heroes are all about and why! Imagine the stories of each one. At King there is a huge military cemetery of all vets. Guys die at King and then join their brothers for eternity. Every year there is a huge motorcycle rally to King and we ride through the cemetery to pay our respects. I have never missed a year and I don’t plan on missing one for a long time. I am just 70 but I am 100 percent disabled from all kinds of things. Not the greatest heart as well as bladder cancer and a little short on breath, but all in all a pretty spry 70 that loves to write.

Change is hard for most people. They don’t seem to like it too much and I must say I am nervous. I like being independent and my wife still loves this house. She will stay here until she is ready to join me. I don’t want her to have to play nursemaid to me anymore. Twenty-five operations were enough and she has a very active church lifestyle with many friends. I can come and go at King and it is only one half hour away from my house so that is handy — both for me and my wife. No real long distance driving either way. The one problem is that you only get 12 furlough days a year but you may write the commandant of King and ask for more as long as you have a good plan for care and usually for visiting family. I know I will adjust and there are activities all the time. Everything you can imagine but it is change from what I am used to. Like all things you can embrace it, fear it, doubt it, complain, or have a positive attitude. Feelings are dealt with by mental health and the care is outstanding.

Beautiful place right on the Chain-O-Lakes so the fish are in real trouble! Yeah we go fishing too!

I am excited and Sandy (my wife) knows I need some help but not too much so this place represents the perfect match. Even my dog can visit!

Life throws many changes at us—marriage—kids—work—different play opportunities as we are young and then grow a little older until we really are old. Change keeps happening throughout the life span. Our feelings change too. We can Love or Hate. We can be Happy, Sad, Joyful, Depressed, Jealous, Soulful, Spirited. We can take risks or play it safe. Our changes are sometimes made by the choices we make and other times there are no choices at all and change is sudden and shocking. War is a good example and all the armed services are good examples too. I am happy to be going to where my brothers are. It all started when I was 17 and joined the Air Force and flew and spent all my time in Vietnam and Okinawa. A time that changed me forever and I would do all over again in a heartbeat. Still, that is the most worthwhile thing I ever accomplished in my life. Nobody could see that change —it just happened and by the time it had happened I was changed forever. For good and ill!