Iraq war vets describe life after the conflict

Nearly two years into the Iraq war, more than 1,000 U.S. service men and women have been killed and more than 10,000 wounded. Those with no physical wounds often come home bearing other scars of war. Is America doing enough for its troops after they return? In the first part of a three-day series, "Today" spoke with veterans and their families about the frustration of getting benefits, the medical care they received and their readjustment to life after the war.

Pfc. Nicole Goodwin, unit supply specialist and single mother with post-traumatic stress disorder:
The insanity of the war haunts you for the rest of your life, and the living sometimes aren’t the lucky ones. They are the ones that are dying slower than others.

I am still going through the process of filing claims. There are a lot of procedures and red tape — the biggest thing we don't have is time to hear "six weeks," or "six months" or even "six minutes."

You have to wonder what I was fighting for, if this came down to freedom. My personal freedom or my child's? I would have just left the military, got a job, got an apartment and been happy.

Ryan Kelly, 24, 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, married. His right leg was blown off in an ambush:
I was wounded on July 14, 2003, by a roadside bomb, south of the city of Baghdad. Three artillery shells were daisy-chained on the side of the road and detonated by insurgents as I passed by. A piece of shrapnel severed my right leg below the knee.

I can't say enough good things about my medical care. It's insane to make somebody who's sustained a disability injury in the service of their nation fight two bureaucracies to get the treatment, care and support they need.

I'm taking advantage of some of the great VA education benefits. I'm just trying to make the most of this and turn lemons into lemonade. My wife and I are looking forward to a happy life together.

Debbie Lucey on the death of her brother Jeffery Lucey, a Marine reservist. Jeffery, who was from Belchertown, Mass., hanged himself after returning from Iraq:
My brother Jeffery came home from Iraq. He was home for about a year. He was having a lot of emotional trouble and it resulted in him taking his life.

He didn't get the help he needed. We tried as a family, but he fell through the cracks.

You can't expect the soldiers to meet the needs of the system. The system needs to meet the needs of the soldiers.

Robert Acosta, 21, member of the 1st Battalion, 501st Regiment, 1st Armored Division. A grenade blew off his left hand. He is from Orange County, Calif.:
I was injured when a hand grenade was thrown into my vehicle. It pretty much took my hand off, shattered my left leg, broke my right leg. My left hand still gets numb. I can't grab things. I can't even button up my shirt half the time, my hand gets tired halfway up.

I don't know even how I deal with it sometimes. I don't even know how I've made it this far sometimes. It's so hard.

I think there should be a lot more programs where soldiers can go and talk to other soldiers.

If I had a dream, it'd probably be to run again.

B.J. Jackson, 23, member of the Iowa National Guard, married with two children. Jackson, from Des Moines, Iowa, lost both his legs in Iraq:
A phosphorous land mine blew up underneath the drive side. A rocket-propelled grenade hit my door about the same time. The vehicle went up about six feet in the air and came back down and trapped me inside. I lost both my legs below the knee due to the burns, and woke up a month and a half later.

I have a wife and two kids that I'm here for, and I was blessed with the opportunity to make it back.

Abagail, Jackson's wife: My life, the girls' life, is not for the bad. It's for the better. You have to be willing to accept change and just go with it.

NBC NEWS SPECIAL SERIES A series airing this week on Today, Nightly News and MSNBC reports on whether the U.S. government is doing enough for soldiers serving in Iraq and their families, particularly those of the dead and wounded. Nightly: VA hospitals overwhelmed Today: Increase death benefit to families? Nightly: Homeless vets wonder where to turn Today: Homecoming for wounded vet Nightly: Are benefits enough? Today: Iraq vets describe life after war Audio slide show: Wounded in the line of duty Live Vote: Is the government doing enough for service members? What are the benefits for service members? Additional benefits for veterans and dependents Where to find help: Military aid and assistance organizations Agencies that help homeless vets Fact file: Military pay scales

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