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I was born in East Los Angeles and lived in Southern California until my mid-20's. In 1966, I received a draft notice related to the involvement of the US in Vietnam. I quickly visited all the recruiters in my area to see if I could leverage my skills as a computer programmer and serve my country that way. A slick Marines recruiter convinced me that they could use my talents in the admin division, though in truth all they saw on my resume was my Karate skills. And so at age 26 I became a Marine and little did I know I was headed for Da Nang and a very personal tour of hell.
During the war, I earned a Purple Heart and several combat commendations. However, I was also witness to countless cruelties of inhumanity along with cowardice under fire, and great peril to my life. I clung to my bible during this period as my only solace, afraid to indulge in alcohol or drugs at a time when a quick reaction meant life or death.
Upon returning from the war, I found myself a pariah. I quickly learned to deny that I had ever served my country. My marriage ended quickly and I began to experience what would later be diagnosed as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Over then next two decades, I experienced divorces, alcohol abuse, fear of my own emotions, endless nightmares and flashbacks, and finally ending in a long string of short jobs and bankruptcy.
In 1989, I began my recovery with a process known as Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR). Since then, I have been able to sleep at nights, start a new and successful love relationship, and be at peace with the world. I would like to be known as an advocate for combat veterans who have lingering psychological wounds.
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