A veteran’s story: Jack Hubert
[Editor: Then And Now . . . Jack Hubert has dedicated his life to serving our country and his fellow Americans. Thank you, Jack, and to all of our veterans. The words “Thank You” will never be enough!]
Hi,
My name is Jack Hubert, and I’m proud to say that I am the Director of Veterans Affairs in Wyoming County. Who cares, you say? Well, I hope somebody does because we have been given a great opportunity to express ourselves, good, bad, and ugly.
A little about myself. Not the best family life; barely got out of high school. No college calling me . . . so what to do? Join the Marines, visit hot, mosquito-ridden islands and shoot people. Guess what? They shoot back. … Because of my wounds and a stint in the hospital I was told my service was no longer needed. I lost my family once again. The guilt I was feeling was overwhelming. You may leave Vietnam, but Vietnam doesn’t leave you.
I won’t go into great detail because I relive it almost every day. After years of trying the usual suppressants (drinking) I couldn’t understand why I was so angry most of the time. After all, I have a caring and loving wife, terrific daughter and son in law, and a granddaughter who’s the love of my life. Lucky for me, a friend recommended I visit the VA hospital because I showed the symptoms of PTS (Post-traumatic Stress). And he was right; a few months later it was confirmed I had PTS.
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- Jack Hubert while in the service
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- Jack Hubert today
It took a while, but between medication and therapy I learned to control my emotions. I’m not perfect, but I do realize what a gift life is. People might not remember your name but they will remember how you treat them. Technically, my office is only open on Fridays, but I’m just a phone call away at (570) 996-2258. Just so you know, I’m not in the basement next to the boiler anymore — I’m on the first floor next to the men’s room, and at my age, that’s not such a bad thing! Thank you for your service.
Jack Hubert, Director of Veterans Affairs
1 Court House Square
Tunkhannock, PA 18657
Attention Veterans: We want to hear from you! Please submit your stories to editor@quadcountyig.com
