Uncle Sam might still want him, even at 67

[Robbien]

Monday, July 19, 2004
BY CHUCK CRUMBO
KRT NEWS SERVICE

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Seven years ago, Lexington psychiatrist Charles Ham retired from the Army. Or at least he thought so.

Then, the other day, he got a call telling him to report to Fort Jackson for a physical examination.

Ham, who wore a U.S. Army uniform for 41 years, knew 5,600 veterans who recently had left the service were being called up. But he never thought he would be on the list. "You know, I'm 67 years old. Why do you need me?" Ham asked.

The caller explained the Army needed psychiatrists to counsel troops.

A recent study found the suicide rate of soldiers serving in Iraq is higher than for other GIs. The suicide rate in Iraq was 17.3 per 100,000 soldiers, compared with 12.8 for the Army overall.

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