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Paul Helbach: A Baptism by Fire

Paul Helbach served in the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps in Vietnam from 1969-70. After a brief medical training at Camp Pendleton, one year after the Tet Offensive, Helbach found himself in Vietnam at the battle of Liberty Bridge which he describes as his "baptism by fire."

He has rubbings of 7 names that are on the Vietnam Wall. He says, "I try to dedicate consciously part of my life every day for those guys who don’t have a life anymore.

I would describe my own Vietnam experiences as 98% boredom and 2% sheer terror. But the 98% was getting ready for something... always getting ready for something.

Helback says, "I can’t tell you how many veterans that I know. Personally that have become leaders in their community, become good fathers, good spouses. Trauma doesn’t necessarily have to be a negative thing in your life if you can process that info and give it some reason and some purpose. It lent meaning and purpose to my life to work with veterans."