Vietnam War Veteran opens up during PTSD Awareness Month

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Retired Chief Master Sargent Billy Vaughan has been home since 1972. Before that, he served in Vietnam.

“The last thing I want to do is go to bed. Cause that’s when I think of the war," Vaughan explains no matter how much time passes, the memories in Vietnam stay with him — the good and the bad.

Athena Kehoe

“I didn’t know what was wrong with me, just constantly, on edge and unease, watching doorways, back to the wall all the time and somebody drops a plate and I’d be like a shot," he says.

What he is describing is PTSD, and he was diagnosed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Vaughan's daughter, Kat Robey, is a mental health counselor and founder of Let All Thrive. She explains if you know someone with PTSD, it's important to enforce the idea that change is possible.

“Which is one of the first barriers, right? They don’t think they can change,“ she says. "They don’t think this can get any better so why bother? But getting a little bit past that and starting to challenge some of those beliefs, getting a little bit more present, maybe they can start to focus on their sleep or their nutrition."

Athena Kehoe

Vaughan carries a photo album with him, highlighting many experiences and people from 1963 and 1964. He explains looking at these photos helps him.

"People you die for, and vice versa, you don’t get closer than that I don’t think,” he says.

Robey says some people with PTSD may experience self-guilt or not want to seek help.

“A lot of that plays into each other where then you can’t sleep, and then you’re thinking about it, and then you can’t stop thinking about it, but you don’t want to tell anybody,” she says.

The VA reports that 30% of Vietnam Veterans have PTSD. There's a Veteran Crisis Line available. Veterans can find more resources for mental health here.

Tucson also has mental health resources available, which you can find here.

Vaughan continues to speak about his friends and teammates who didn't return from Vietnam. He says he went back to Vietnam so many times because his friends who passed couldn't. He volunteered four more times, totaling five times he went to Vietnam.

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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.