http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=5836336

We are grateful for their service.

Veterans Reach Out to Veterans

Dec 22, 2006 11:18 AM CST


By J.D. Wallace, KOLD News 13 Reporter

A uniform and pictures are some of the ways that Abel Moreno can show he served as a sergeant in the 82nd Airborne in Iraq and Afghanistan. But even more personal are his memories.

"You know, I can remember I spent Christmas in Afghanistan, and now, I'm here. You see how that, that shift? That's tough," Moreno said on Tuesday.

Moreno said that it's tough to shift from a war zone to civilization, and tough to find others who understand that challenge.

"I am hopeful in the fact of believing it does go away, if you believe, if you try, but that doesn't happen unless you let it out," Moreno said.

Being there to listen is the reason for Vets4Vets, a national organization based in Tucson for post-9/11 veterans, founded by a Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran.

"I served in Vietnam, 1968 and 1969," said Jim Driscoll.

But Driscoll wants to keep Vets4Vets for the post 9/11 veterans, so that they can be comfortable among other veterans of the same generation.

"People from this generation really like being with one another. It's a lot easier for them to tell their stories," Driscoll said.

"My father's a veteran as well, and it was something you didn't talk about. That stigmatism has carried over to this modern war, and we're different people from that time. We're people of expression," Moreno said.

And Moreno is hoping that more who went through what he did will express their experiences and concerns.

"There's ways to help. There's ears that are willing to listen, and veterans need to reach out to those ears and that's what we deal with," Moreno said.

Vets4Vets meets every Thursday at VFW Post 10008, 2444 N. Tucson Blvd. (North of Grant).

Call 319-5500 for more information.