SERVING

Those That

SERVED

Stressor Letters

VIETNAM VETERAN – SAMPLE OF POINTMAN STRESSOR LETTER                   

         

LIFE BEFORE MILITARY SERVICE

     

Growing up on the South side of Chicago was pretty tough.  Crime was rampant, drugs were on every street corner, illiteracy seemed a way of life, and mother nature was a constant reminder of just how brutal life could be.  Along with eight brothers and sisters, even getting basic essentials was an everyday challenge.  My mother worked four jobs just to keep a roof over our heads.  Since my mother worked so much, I hardly ever saw her.  My oldest sister assumed the duties of parent for me and my brothers and sisters.                   

          

When I was having problems in junior high school, I remember it was my oldest sister who attended the parent-teacher conferences.  When I got my report cards, I always showed it to my oldest sister.  She never gave me any positive feedback, the report card for her was a way to verify that I was going to school.                   

            

Getting good grades was never a problem.  I never studied much, but I had a very good memory.  In high school, I was able to memorize all of the words and definitions of the entire school dictionary.  I was very proud of that.  By the time I was in the eleventh grade, my mother’s health started to fade.  She was unable to work due to severe arthritis.  Years of cleaning toilet seats and mopping floors took their toll.  To help the family, I started working in a nearby diner.  I got a job washing dishes.  My oldest sister always told me to work hard.  I guess it sunk in, because I worked at the diner every chance I got, and I worked until the place closed regardless of the time I got there.            

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

I was not earning enough money washing dishes to really support my family.  I started consoling in friends for help.  A friend of a friend informed me that I could make a lot of money by doing business on the street.  I knew what that meant.  Out of desperation I thought I would give it a try.  My plan was to “work on the street” and wash dishes.  If my friend was right, I could soon give up washing dishes and make a lot of money on the street.  I was hoping I would make a lot of money quickly, put the money in the bank, then move on to a legitimate job. 

    

My friend was right. I made lots of money, quickly and easily. As a teenager, when you are making $10,000 - $15,000 per month, you want more. The money I was earning helped my family and helped me live a lifestyle I only saw in the movies. I had a brand new Cadillac, fine clothes, expensive jewelry, and moved my family away from the South side of Chicago. My oldest sister knew I was making “dirty money,” but she never said a word to me about it. My brothers and sisters saw me as a hero. They never asked where I got the money either.