Childhood through high school - straight A's, semi-jock (letter-ed, state finals wrestling), oppressive parents, best part about it was getting to ride my dad's panhead and leaving home and staying away for 30 years.

West Point, 1970-1974 - best part of that, a girl and three bikes... H1, H2, Commando.

U.S. Army 1974-1976 - best part of that was my Z1 and drag racing, and getting out. I got messed up and service-connected disabled, lost my commission, lost my way.

1976-1978 - lived in a loft in Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, grew my hair down to my shoulderblades, hung out with cool people, did far too many drugs, and everything that went with it. I'm surprised I lived through it.

IT industry mostly, some warehousing, and a machine shop - 1978-2009 - GPZ1100, Ducati 900, ZX11, ZX10, ZX14. Made tons of money, spent it all, traveled the world. Lost every good job I ever had due to PTSD issues. No regrets.

2009-present - helping veterans find employment and training, getting paid peanuts to do it, and don't care.

Plans - retire in 4 years, ride all over USA and Canada, taking my time, talking on behalf of veterans' causes to civic groups, local governments, anyone that will listen. If I die out on the road, my dream will be complete, just not too soon, k thx.

* Last updated by: privateer on 3/27/2011 @ 10:53 AM *

West Point! Kind of like a crew chief with a pedigree. Yeah, and how do you like the chronic part of the disease. Not that I can relate... Just imagining. You can't be as physically fucked up as bean, no? I don't know how you guys do it? I'll stick with my drain bamage, thank you very much.

Physical - a high wind parachute landing ended in the trees, getting down was not fun; then a half-streamer slammed me and my 100 pounds of combat gear into the marsh at 20 mph give or take a few feet/second. Just glad it was marsh, not terra firma. TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) times two, the physical source and part of my PTSD, and losing decades of memories as if they never happened. I know what I did based on second-hand evidence for large parts of my adult life.

Mental - PTSD, Mood, been so low I invented ways to off myself that horror movies cringe at. Been so out of it I ended up in London not knowing how I got there. Thankful for modern psycho-therapy drugs, I am able to function daily thanks to my PTSD medicine, and the stuff that damps down the nightmares.

The VA is deciding right now if they can afford to back-pay me for PTSD. If they do, the bike gets a lot of cool new toys.

You wouldn't want to meet me in the wrong circumstances back in the day. I got shot once and cut the shooter up so bad they had to sweep him up.

Now I'm too old, and hurt too much right over top the Tramadol and anti-inflammatory, to mess with anyone, so I chose peace.

To me, that VA is a no-brainer (and) no pun intended. I hear that suicide mission well... BTDT

Here I was, 2 weeks after resigning my commission due to being unfit for duty (I didn't do anything wrong, so I got an Honorable Discharge). The VA Medical Center in San Francisco called me in to do a disability exam. This was Jan 1977.

I went to the first appointment, and failed the hearing test miserably. They scheduled a followup to do x-rays and such. They granted me loss of an organ on the spot.

Once I went home, the PTSD took over and I never went back. In fact, I lost so much memory I forgot I'd ever been to the VA, or even what unit I'd been in, in the Army. Over the years, big trouble in little China with the law several times. Almost shot by the San Jose cops one night around 2am when I was out in the streets conducting a running gun battle with live ammo against ghosts in black pajamas. I came within one twitch of being shot dead. The Sheriff who lead the response (wonder what they thought was happening?) asked me after they shackled me and put me in the back of his car, was I a veteran? I was dressed in my jungle fatigues, still had insignia of rank and subdued unit and name patches on it.

That Sheriff made it all go away, I was never charged. After showing up in court 3 seperate times over a two month period, the clerk of the court conveyed dismissal papers to me. I guess God was telling me something.

I got help after that. But I didn't know how I'd been injured (memory holes) until I filed for disability rating on hearing loss, and in the course of getting medical records from Archives, read about two TBI events (Traumatic Brain Injury), 2 bad parchute landings (one sent me to the Army hospital), and a whole bunch of other stuff.

In the medical officer's notes who did my commissioning physical at West Point, the day before I put on Army officer insignia, he noted he had offered me a medical discharge (thus I wouldn't have to be commissioned, and mandatory diversion to enlisted rank was not invoked) but apparently I was too gung-ho or crazy to take him up on it.

I went Infantry, and promptly volunteered for Vietnam.

So sometime this month, since the Rating Board has the case finally, I will get a letter telling me my final rating. If you add up all the injuries and such it comes to about 150% but there is never anything above 100%. So if they are fair, it will finally be over. My disability check monthly will be almost 3 times what I make from my job.

Or they could shaft me, and then we are in court for the next year.

Good luck, life isn't fair or easy, some have a harder road to ride than others,
Hope they give you what your asking for, which will never cover the true cost to your life, but at least it will be going in the right direction.

God bless and good luck

peter

Nothing compared to your problems, but I know some of what you're dealing with. Back in the '70s, before seatbelts, I was hit head on by a drunk going 110 in a van. I was out for 3 days, and when I came to I had huge holes in my memory. Now I'm dealing with depression, anxiety, headaches, memory problems, vertigo, and constant back problems. I hope things turn out well for you.

Im starting to think im the youngest member on this forum.

You may be.Ya...youngster.Glad you're getting things sorted Privateer.Lots of shi* to deal with.And you other guys here...life's full of twists and turns we don't see...until.You're all very special....and important.I'm glad ya'll are here.

Interesting....the Harley guys wanna be...."outlaws" or whatever.The zx14nrs are rollin badazz hyperbikes...BREAKING THE LAW regularly!Riskin it all in the twisties and canyons.Outridin everything on the road.WTF?Go figure. Amazing I'm still here as well.Never thought I'd make it to today...that's for sure....imagine....at 57 years old ridin one of these!Gotta be "off" somewhere!

* Last updated by: blue07 on 5/13/2011 @ 9:19 AM *

You may be.Ya...youngster.Glad you're getting things sorted Privateer.Lots of shi* to deal with.And you other guys here...life's full of twists and turns we don't see...until.You're all very special....and important.I'm glad ya'll are here.

Interesting....the Harley guys wanna be...."outlaws" or whatever.The zx14nrs are rollin badazz hyperbikes...BREAKING THE LAW regularly!Riskin it all in the twisties and canyons.Outridin everything on the road.WTF?Go figure. Amazing I'm still here as well.Never thought I'd make it to today...that's for sure

Privateer, mad mad mad mad respect. I could write a book about your life! I have a crazy life too, spent more time falling down than getting up, but you know, the stories we tell revolve around the profound experiences in our lives. You my man have had many.

Keep the shiny side up, would love to meet yah, buy some beers and shoot the shit.

I'm over here in Igloo Nation, and you have plans to circumvent the south. Enjoy bro.
Talk soon,
Wolfman