E Michael Helms

The Private War of Corporal Henson E Michael Helms

Vietnam didn't stay in Southeast Asia. It followed former U. S. Marine Corporal Nathan Henson back to the World-his hometown in the Florida panhandle. Seventeen years later, specters from 'Nam still haunt the corners of Nathan's life and the recurring nightmarish scenes of carnage won't die. Desperate, he seeks help and joins a support group for Vietnam combat veterans. Now a new war begins-against Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In a series of gut-wrenching sessions, Nathan faces the ghosts of his past and shares the struggles of others as they confront and relive horrors and dark secrets kept locked inside. There's Vic Guerino, a former Army helicopter pilot trying to adjust to the boredom of a grounded life, Dan "Doc" Matthews, wrestling with addiction brought home from the battlefields of Vietnam, and Rene Boudreaux, the loner who withdraws from society with paranoia ruling his every waking moment. Nathan must conquer the demons of PTSD to win peace in his life, but it's a harrowing rollercoaster ride through the valley of healing. The path is strewn with heartbreak and humor, hope and despair and love lost and regained. This is the comeback story of a heroic young man who saw it all, lived through it, and ultimately emerged from the shadows of war.