The Lehigh County The Right Information and Direction/Project Lifesaver welcomed Sgt. Clyde Hoch, U.S.M.C., of Pennsburg, to its monthly meeting Jan. 13 at Lehigh Valley Active Life, 1633 Elm St., Allentown.

Hoch is an award winning author and mentor with the Veterans' Mentor Program sponsored by District Attorney James Martin. Hoch also helped to open a home in Pennsburg for his fellow vets.

Hoch has written three books about military heroes, one about himself and one fiction. All profits from his military books are donated to veterans organizations, schools and libraries. He hopes donations will be used to start a worldwide website to connect a veteran mentor with a veteran mentee.

Hoch served in the Marine Corps 1965 to 1969.

Three days after graduating high school, he was on his way to boot camp at Parris Island, S.C.

During infantry training, he was trained in tanks by the sergeants.

He was sent on a cruise of the Mediterranean Sea for six months, came home for six months and sent on another Mediterranean cruise for another six months.

He had been in the Corps for more than two and a half years when he got orders for Vietnam.

"It often amazed me how we, as neighborhood kids, glamorized war. When you are actually staring in the face of war, it is a totally different feeling," Hoch said.

Hoch discussed the fears he had while serving and how the fears had to be hidden.

"You need to act like you are Sergeant Rock, standing out there in the middle of a field with hundreds shooting at you, directing men and having no fear."

During his time in Vietnam he was involved with so many firefights he can not remember them all.

He saw a rocket propelled grenade come toward him in slow motion but it passed over his head by inches.

During one particular mission, not far from company headquarters, he remembers taking a very large breath of air and very hot air filled his lungs. Everything was fuzzy.

"The next thing I remember, my life was a brown blob. I thought I was dead. I couldn't figure it out. One minute I was sitting on top of the tank; the next I was numb and it was deathly quiet."

It finally dawned on him they had hit a mine. He never heard an explosion.

Hoch said he felt like he was in a daze for weeks. He said his memory was failing and he was unable to make decisions. He got out of the military.

It was not until years later he read about post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.

Symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, avoidance, hypervigilance, nightmares and re-experiencing phenomenon. Symptoms for both TBI and PTSD are fatigue, insomnia depression, irritability and anxiety. Symptoms for TBI are headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, vision problems and sensitivity to light and noise. Other symptoms of TBI include slow thinking, poor concentration, memory problems, difficulty finding words and mood swings.

Although Hoch did not have success with the Veterans Administration, he said there is help out there for veterans.

Veterans Crises Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be reached at 800-273-8255.

Helpguide.org also has a number of resources for veterans dealing with PTSD.

"You are not alone," Hoch said. "Do not accept 'no' for an answer when trying to get help. Do not feel you are not worth it; you sacrificed so much, you deserve much more than you are getting."

Project Lifesaver Chairperson Martha Lieberman introduced Capt. William Reinik, Allentown Police Department, and Patrolman Kris Shirk, Bethlehem Police Department, to talk about the progress of Project Lifesaver.

Project Lifesaver is an innovative, rapid response program aiding families whose loved ones have Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome or autism.

By forming partnerships with local law enforcement and public safety organizations, Project Lifesaver deploys specially trained teams with the most reliable technology available to locate and return wandering persons to their families and caregivers.

Participants who are part of the project wear a personalized wristband. The band emits a tracking signal.

In the event the individual should wander away from home and become lost, the caregiver can notify the local Project Lifesaver agency and a search-and-rescue team will be dispatched.

Project Lifesaver was established in 1999 as an initiative of the 43rd Virginia Search Company of the Chesapeake, Va. sheriff´s office.

The project has recorded more than 1,000 searches with a 100-percent success rate.

The average time of rescue is less than 30 minutes.

Project Lifesaver is at work saving lives in more than 33 states including Maryland, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

There are three individuals in Allentown who have the bracelets.

Lieberman encouraged residents in need and local police stations interested in implementing the program in their area to contact her at 610-966-8511.