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GIBSON, La. (AP) — Charles Bellizana doesn't like to dig up memories about his time in Vietnam but hopes his story will inspire other veterans to seek support when it's needed.
Bellizana, 69, of Gibson, was 19 when he went to Vietnam in April 1966. He was there for a year.
Aside from his time in the Army, Bellizana has lived in Gibson.
Shortly after graduating from Southdown High School in 1964, he found work with the Job Corps in Kentucky. He was homesick. After a two-month stint he returned to Gibson.
A couple of weeks later, he got his draft letter.
"Being young, I didn't give it a second thought," he said.
In October 1965, he officially became a member of the military. After basic training, he went through advanced individual training at Fort Polk in Vernon Parish.
"They simulated it and made it look just like Vietnam," he said.
But nothing, he said, could prepare you for the real thing.
"Someone is out there actually shooting at you," he said. "Then, it's real."
Bellizana said he was injured twice by punji sticks — sharpened sticks stuck in the ground, point up, and hidden in thick grass. "The helicopter takes you to the hospital where you get a shot and go right back," he said.
In addition to his two Purple Hearts, Bellizana also earned a Bronze Star for heroic or meritorious achievement.
"We got in a firefight and I was able to keep my cool and do what I had to do," he said. "Some of our men weren't doing too good. That's all I'm going to say."
Today, Bellizana visits the Houma VA Outpatient Clinic on West Park Avenue weekly to meet with other veterans.
"We talk about life, family, problems like dreams — personal stuff, but never war," he said. "We don't tell war stories because we're trying to get it off our minds."
Although he was only away from home for two years, Bellizana said his life was very different upon returning.
"It was hard to get a good night's sleep," he said. "I was drinking and doing drugs. These young guys, when they come back, they don't want help, but they're drinking and doing these other things."
Bellizana has been drug- and alcohol-free for about 14 years, but it took three stays in rehab, twice in New Orleans and once in Gulfport, Mississippi.
"I made up my mind to stay clean, and this time, I was able to stay off," he said. "I needed a higher power to get this off my mind."
John W. Lewis, 61, of Gibson, said he has known Bellizana for more than 50 years and has been a good friend of his for about 40 years.
"I was one of the main guys who talked to him about not messing with drugs: That will lead you down a bad road," he said. "Rehab wasn't working for him. I told him, 'You've got to go off by yourself and pray on it. It's between you and God after that.'"
Bellizana became a member of Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church in Gibson. He now attends Bible study on Wednesdays and church services on Sunday mornings.
He said he had joined the church about three times, "but I went back to drugs and alcohol. This last time, I said 'I'm going to make it.'"
While church played a big role in his journey to sobriety, Bellizana said his mother also helped.
"There were drugs in that area that I lived," he said. The third time he got out of rehab, he said, he stayed at his mother's house. "My mama was very strong."
The choice to change was ultimately up to Bellizana himself, Lewis said.
"Some people have to do things on their own and see," Lewis said. "He went down a dark road, but right now, he's a model citizen. He's very kind hearted man and an all-around good person. He turned his life around 180 degrees."
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Information from: The Courier, http://www.houmatoday.com
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