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(#1622) Mark B (Navarre, FL)
4/29/2006 in Marietta, GA  EVENT: 16th Marietta Roundup  TYPE: AA, Male, Story

Sober 18 years since 4/10/1988, Mark was raised in Quincy, MA.

He is very passionate about the Program as outlined in the Big Book.

Mark served in Vietnam and was helped with his PTSD by a member in AA who was in attendance at this event. Mark left his God in Southeast Asia and found him again in AA.

He spent many days in VA hospitals taking many types of drugs to relieve his trauma. Since his sobriety date he has not had to use any of those other substances.

His dad loved drinking. His bother Pete got him into stealing car stereos. Mark played sports until he started drinking and found it worked faster than anything else he tried.

A judge gave him a choice - jail or the Army. Mark loved the military and trained to be a radio operator. He first went to Germany, drinking and fighting along the way. He got in trouble and was given a choice - court martial or Vietnam.

He watched lots of people die in a heavy firefight in a valley in the Central Highlands,

".. and I died in that valley that day."

He has permanent disability as a result of what happened but he does not blame his alcoholism on Vietnam.

He spent many days in psychiatric hospitals, jails and prisons (for multiple armed robberies).

His brother Pete got sober in prison first and attempted to twelve Step Mark a year before he finally got sober.


(57 min) (19.8 MB) (id#1622)

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