Last modified: Sunday, April 22, 2007 10:47 PM EDT Neil McKenna of North Attleboro is a counselor at the Vets Center in Brockton, which serves the needs of veterans throughout the area. (Staff photo by Mike George) North resident among leaders of center assisting veterans from all wars BY RICK FOSTER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF BROCKTON - From a Vietnam veteran troubled by a war long past to a newly returned soldier who experiences nightmares from her time in Iraq, the place many ex-servicemen and women turn to is the Vet Center. "We provide readjustment counseling, we help veterans with benefits issues and we do a lot of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)," said Neil McKenna, a North Attleboro resident and team leader for the Vet Center's Brockton office. About 85 percent of the center's work load involves professional counseling relating to readjustment and psychological issues. McKenna, a Vietnam-era veteran, said the center received about 5,000 visits in the past year and is currently working with about 350 veterans from all wars. Vet Centers, an outgrowth of Vietnam, were created in 1979 specifically to deal with problems of Vietnam veterans, as well as all vets who served in war zones. Those seeking counseling do not have to meet financial eligibility requirements. The Vet Center also offers a friendly hand to veterans who may feel a reluctance to seek help through regular channels, such as a Veterans Administration hospital. "For some, it can seem a little intimidating," McKenna said, "especially with some of the negativity that's been out there." Despite a recent controversy stemming from poor maintenance at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and a crippling backlog at VA hospitals across the country, McKenna said local vets have a friend in the center's full-time counseling staff made up in part of fellow war veterans. Counselor Paula Smith served in Iraq and Joseph Thurston served with the Marines in Vietnam. The center, which includes a lounge and group discussion area, also includes pictures and memorabilia relating to conflicts from World War II to the present. "When veterans come here, they know that we get it," McKenna said. For returning vets, the resumption of civilian life is not always a smooth transition. For some, nightmarish encounters in combat live on in sleepless nights back home. For others, leaving behind buddies and the structure of military life can lead to guilt, boredom or substance abuse. "There's often an estrangement when you leave military life," McKenna said. "In the military there was a certain structure. You knew what was expected of you and you knew what to expect. Suddenly, in civilian life, that's all changed." Issues relating to "survivor guilt" over comrades who died or who continue to face danger back in the war zone can be particularly devastating. As a result of the global war on terror and increased exposure to combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, veterans' use of Vet Centers across the country is on the rise. McKenna says the number of visits locally is up about 25 percent in the last three years, and the center will soon add a new part-time counselor. In addition to responding to veterans who call or walk in, Vet Center counselors also provide information to families and - in an increasing number of cases - work with newly-returned military units by helping to conduct post-deployment medical assessments. The Brockton Vet Center, which is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, is located at 1041L Pearl St. and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Evening discussion groups are also held biweekly. The office can be reached by calling 508-580-2730.