(second of two parts)

A fourth round went harmlessly through the inside of my right thigh.

I've also had my chest crushed in a high speed auto crash (145+ mph) and was brought into the Army hospital at Ft Sill, OK one year before I got shot. I had a "Flail Chest" which was definitely painful because unlike most "broken ribs," mine were so violently broken that the rib-ends were all completely separated and overlapped, shredding my right lung in the process. As a consequence, my right shoulder is about 1.5" forward and 1" down from its original location, and I have a bony ridge under my right scapula.

I got shot on the 5th of November, 1967, and after a brief hiatus in the states, I was back in Vietnam before the end of February, 1968. Before my return, I had to have my temp colostomy closed and learn to walk again.

If you would like my advice on coping with these problems (which I call "Life's footprints,") I would suggest working diligently on cultivating the "Soldier's/Survivor's attitude" with respect to the losses of function that are so depressing to you at this moment.

That attitude is taught to all new soldiers in Basic Training, but not especially identified as a "Soldier's attitude." It is summarized by the following commands:

1. Observe (the situation you are in and the factors that affect you)
2. Identify (those factors and the specifics about them)
3. Assess (your situation, the external situation and the factors affecting both)
4. Adapt (to the changes in you situation, including your present physical state) and finally the most important:
5. Overcome (any obstacles between your current state and the state you desire to be in.)

Central to the success of this is your attitude. To succeed, PROGRAM yourself. Put your doubts aside, I'm proof that it works. Give yourself a continual stream of cheerleading and tell yourself that you can and will overcome this.

There are techniques for overcoming fear, such as maintaining a neutral mind as you go to your team to learn where you stand, and what your prognosis is, but this message is about developing the Survivor's attitude which is to think, not in terms of what you have lost, but in what you have left and how you can use that to live your life happily.

That's important enough to repeat, the key is to think in terms of what you have, not what you have lost. Put that later bit completely out of your mind and do not let it reappear.

The fact is that you can do this, but only if you actually invest the time and effort to do it.

If you are interested, simply respond with any questions you might have; or if not interested, blow this off with no hard feelings.

I wish you the very best and every success,

Bart