In 1976, when I left the Army and the 75th Infantry Rangers, I felt like an astronaut on a weird, alien planet.  Since 1976, in fifteen years, I’ve had fifteen jobs, with none of them having a happy ending. In all that time, I thought I didn’t have a problem.     I felt the rest of the world had the problem and they were out of sync with me.  My wife and kids heard me say a million times, “I’ve out lived my time and I’ve out lived my kind.”  I did not know it, but I was in a deep depression and suffering from something I could not put my finger on.  In 1994, one of my Ranger buddies committed suicide while he was serving with the 10th Special Group (Airborne). If Ranger Joe could not stay alive while serving with SF, what was I going to do? Ranger Joe’s death sent me into a dark downward spiral.  After putting up with many years of my dangerous self-destructive life style, which had now taken a turn for the worse, my wife convinced me to get some help.  I was admitted to the Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) at our VA Medical Center where I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  Great, what the fuck is PTSD? A label to hang on my head saying that I was fucked-up? Just what I really needed! But, it was at TRP that I met a man who probably saved my life. My wife had done her best to try saving me many times, but she did not have the tools to help me. TRP’s Dr. Batte helped me cut through many years of shit and was able to hand me a thread of hope.

While I was in The Program, one night during a violent thunderstorm, I sat smoking a cigar and drinking a beer, reliving a past life experience. I still felt out of sorts.  I was angry, frustrated and confused.  I felt dysfunctional! On a piece of paper, I wrote in big giant bold letters, “Dysfunctional Veteran-Leave Me Alone!”  At first, it was meant as a warning, but as time went by, I started to laugh at my own words.  Today, I hide in my “Hobbit Hole” and sell a few t-shirts, a Kilroy challenge coin, a patch, hat and other Dysfunctional Veteran accoutrements. I use Kilroy peeking out of a foxhole because he looks like how I feel.

Dysfunctional Veteran sales help to keep me busy and out of my wife’s hair. Your best bet, buy from a dysfunctional vet!

Dysfunctional Veteran-Leave Me Alone: As John Boswell once said, “Blessed is he who has learned to laugh at himself, for he shall never cease to be entertained.” 

Thanks for your support - Ranger Andy