Eight veterans get on with their lives with help from Southeastern Guide Dogs

SARASOTA -- In their youth, U.S. Marine and U.S. Army "tunnel rats" bravely crawled into Viet Cong tunnels, often armed only with a pistol and a knife. A rifle or machine gun would have been too unwieldy for the tight, claustrophobic space.

James Willis, 65, of Bradenton was one of those tunnel rats. As a Marine sergeant, he looked for enemy soldiers lurking in the tunnels as well as stockpiles of ammunition and weapons and any strategic documents left behind.

After he mustered out of the Marines, Willis worked 60-hour weeks doing electrical repairs, and managed to suppress most of his bad memories.

After he retired, lingering post-traumatic stress disorder took a toll, and he turned inward, avoiding crowds, rarely venturing outside his home.

This week, Willis and seven other veterans graduated with service dogs from Southeastern Guide Dogs, and are looking forward to a brighter future.

"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts," Gerardo Sosa, who served as a Navy lieutenant, said on behalf of the veterans class Wednesday at The Francis in Sarasota.

Each of the veterans suffers from physical or psychic wounds from their military service, and received a service dog at no charge from Southeastern Guide Dogs.

"Thank you is not enough to express how grateful we are," Sosa said. "We have all gained a new family member because of you."

Willis served a 13-month tour in Vietnam during 1969-70, and his experiences ultimately left him unable to deal with daily life.

Even the simple act of leaving his house could sometimes take three tries to summon the willpower to get out the front door, Willis said.

The turning point came when his VA psychiatrist and group therapy friends suggested Willis get a service dog.

Willis had a hole in his life after his Weimaraner died, and decided to apply to Southeastern Guide Dogs for a service dog.

With his new service dog, Recon, Willis says he is doing much better.

"I can't say enough about the people at Southeastern Guide Dogs," Willis said. "It has been a tremendous experience."

"I feel amazing, The program helps you get discipline back in your life. The last five years have been trouble. I didn't want to go out and even stopped going to church. I didn't want to talk to people. I still feel like I am not worthy. The service dogs are great things."

James A. Jones Jr., Herald reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter@jajones1.

This story was originally published March 23, 2016 at 11:29 PM with the headline "Eight veterans get on with their lives with help from Southeastern Guide Dogs ."