Veterans Reflect On Ft. Hood Tragedy

HOUSTON - Houston-area veterans took some time Friday to reflect on the tragedy of fellow soldiers in Fort Hood, KPRC Local 2 reported.

At a veterans' luncheon in west Houston, hundreds started the ceremony with prayers and songs dedicated to the fallen soldiers and their families at Fort Hood.

"It's one thing to lose your life in combat for your company, but to lose it because of something like that, to me that's a tragedy," said R. Murray Saxton, a Vietnam veteran. "That was supposed to be a safe haven."

"I've had several of my friends call both in and out of the military expressing their sorrow for that unfortunate event," said David Sarge, who has served in Iraq at least a dozen times and has friends at Fort Hood. "I feel it as a personal loss. As a combat loss, not as an accident you would hear from anywhere else in the world."

"I feel for the soldiers that were killed and I feel for the ones that are still alive and just hanging on," said Johnnie Rainwater, a Vietnam veteran.

As news of the tragedy spreads to veterans everywhere, experts say incidents like these take an emotional toll on those who have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Right now, people are in a state of shock," said Dr. Leigh Bishop, a psychiatrist with the VA Hospital in Houston. "Within a few days, you will see sadness at the loss of life and anger. There may be problems with sleep nightmares among those who've had post traumatic stress symptoms."

Bishop said the correct way for veterans to deal with this type of tragedy is to talk about it with people close to them.

Bishop said keeping these feelings inside at a time like this may not be healthy, and friends and families of veterans should lend a listening ear for support.

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