Barry

Well who the hell am I?

I'm a veteran, just one man, no more no less. I've seen a bit and I've done a bit and not all of it has been so pleasant that I particularly want to talk about it.

What I do want to talk about though is the dire need for VIA and the absolutely fantastic job they have started. I was railroaded out of the Army due to ill health after GW1 and although they wrapped it up nicely as redundancy it was what it was.

Ever since I have been looking for help and not finding anything to fit the bill. I have been down the psychiatric path, I've been in and out of hospital with numerous un-explained illnesses, mostly I'm held together with black masking tape. I've been divorced, slept rough, carried everything I owned in a holdall, attempted suicide and even though I had no self esteem left I always had in the back of my mind the feeling I was still worth something.

VIA has given me the direction I need, the being a part of something worthy, doing the right thing for the right reason and not just for myself but for other veterans too.

I would like to think that in some part, some of the people I have met as a part of VIA feel as touched to be some small influence for good and maybe to be a friend when needed. I feel that without the excellent hard work by Billy and the rest of VIA I would still have nothing to help me stay on the right track and I am thankful to be a small part of it.

Barry.