Jesse's transition to civilian life after Vietnam was not easy. He didn't have as much patience as he used to have, and found it hard to be affectionate. He felt as if he had lost his place and spent most of his time working and keeping busy to try to avoid thinking about his wartime experiences.
View Video TranscriptJesse:
The transition was so fast. I mean, you go from being in the jungle and sleeping with your rifle and going out and then all of a sudden, you're back at home, you know, and getting back to what is normal. It was pretty tough, you know. And I found myself sitting in a dark room there trying to figure things out. And the main thing I wanted to do is get back to work and they wouldn't give me my job back initially because of the wounds that I had. But the VA talked to them and they were able to get me another job. So, I worked as an electrician in the beginning and staying busy was a main thing. You know, just staying busy to the point where you're exhausted, you know. It helped me cope with everything else. So, you hold everything in and it just boils and simmers there for a long time.
It was a lot of strain on my marriage. I just didn’t seem like I fit in anymore, you know. I just didn’t seem like I had the patience. And I got a divorce not too long after that, you know. I’ve had two marriages really. But my kids and them, I just… I probably didn’t have the affection that I should have had, that I would have had before, you know. It’s like the love was gone, you know, that emotion I hadn’t felt in a long time. So, it was real strained. It was pretty tough on them.
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