It's heart-breaking, Alffe.

From what I have experienced so far, it's because these men/women were either forced or deceived into military service. For my Vietnam vet friend, he was drafted right out of high school. He lives day after day with the memory of holding a very close friend - well, half of him, anyway - as he lay dying. He has to sleep every night with the nameless faces of people he had to kill. During his most formative years as an adult, the only lesson he learned was "search and destroy."

For my son, he became frustrated because he didn't have the money to go to college and couldn't find a job. He desperately wanted to get on with his life because he wants the resources necessary to be able to care for me and my husband as we cared for my parents in their time of need. He wants to have a wife and family of his own, but he knows he'll need to be able to provide for them first. He knows how upset I'd be to have hungry or neglected grandbabies.

My son has been deceived many times so far. Right now, he's holding on to the promises they have given him for when he gets out. If they do him wrong, I can't really be responsible for his behavior - especially after the training he's been through. I'll be just as angry.

For many others, they were fooled into thinking they would be protecting the people of this country - as if we'd lose our "freedom" if we lost the war in Vietnam. We lost the war - what "freedom" did we lose? I absolutely cringed when we justified the war in Iraq as we tried to justify the war in Vietnam.

What makes this worse for me is my Vietnam friend is having more PTSD episodes because of this war and because of my son serving overseas. He's been my son's buddy ever since my son was an infant. He used to tell my son he served in Vietnam so that my son wouldn't have to go to war. Now he can only hope my son stays alive and won't follow the same path my friend was forced to walk when he returns home.

I'm thankful the professionals are recognizing this trend and my hat goes off to those who are in a position to help our suicidal vets. I'm worried that the treatment isn't enough though. As much as they care, they will never be able to wipe away those painful memories or give them back their limbs. IMO, the best medicine is prevention. I hope and pray our soldiers come home soon. I hope and pray no more soldiers will be sent to war unnecessarily.

I think we had less of a problem with our WWII vets because it was a necessary war for a more noble cause. The people of this country suffered right along with the soldiers. Heck, women even gave up their stockings for the cause. What have WE sacrificed on a daily basis for our Vietnam and Iraq war veterans? Nothing.