R Dean Jerde

Flashbacks: A Vietnam Soldier's Story 50 Years Later R Dean Jerde

Dean returned from Vietnam in January, 1969 to a country torn apart by the war. Sadly for Dean, the anti-war sentiment targeted the warriors as well. Seeking refuge with veterans from previous wars, he was rebuked for not having won his war as they had theirs in Germany, Japan, and Korea. So Dean buried that one year, one month, and ten days in Vietnam deep within his psyche and made sure never to speak of it in the next fifty years-not to his wife, his sons, brothers, or even the closest of friends. In retirement, Dean's PTSD returned with a fury, first during the night, then taking over his waking hours.