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Iraq 10 years later: Marine Corporal Jason King

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    Vet faces serious challenges upon coming home

  • Duration 3:37
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All this week we're looking at the tenth anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq public opinion about whether the world a safer because of it.

Has remained virtually unchanged last few years.

Tonight we close with the story of a man who paved the way in the war.

And yet has been unable to find his own way.

Back home.

Here's senior correspondent Rick Leventhal.

When Marines of the third light armored reconnaissance battalion rolled into Iraq in 2003.

-- Jason King was one of the men behind the wheel.

Piloting a light armored LED 25 king drove in some of the worst conditions imaginable.

-- burning oil fields.

Blistering hot scene.

An incoming fire.

King's first chance to relax it was in a blinding sandstorm -- -- it is whether.

Pretty crappy.

-- drive in this.

Probably.

Five years after the war we found king struggling in Watertown New York.

Everything that I have heard.

Everybody was tired military veteran -- I mean.

Can can't find a better worker he good and it turned out to be different -- that.

King had left the Marines and joined the army but was discharged for failure to cope he lost his temper and his dream job as a police cadet.

Lost his house -- bankruptcy then lost his daughter Samantha who died after being left alone in a bathtub.

The state took custody of his two other girls.

-- kind of stuck in the same place still.

Times are still tough for king living in Michigan City, Indiana unemployed despite going to school for -- truckers license.

You -- for fifty driving to there motion.

And they were desperate for -- a lot of them.

And none of them them.

Getting relations it wasn't a problem and I got to licence.

And passed a physical foot here you know -- disclose everything on physical.

King says his medication for post dramatic stress disorder is the reason he can't get higher.

King and his wife -- regain custody of their girls any studying for a career in computers and despite his challenges king says he doesn't regret his service.

Do you miss the military.

-- -- We -- moment.

Just mostly the sense of belonging somewhere.

Jason King says he's determined to succeed and provide for his family and his challenge as a reminder that sometimes the wounds of war can be hidden from view.

Brett there's been a great series all week you know -- in the Pentagon from day one of this war I traveled to Iraq twelve times.

I saw a lot of things change over that time.

But I wasn't there at the very start I watched from inside the Pentagon as you -- and you know as you finish this series your reflections personally on.

Ten years later.

Well it was an exhausting.

Journey and a very very difficult assignment.

And I gained so much respect for the Marines and the other service members who were over there doing that the real.

The tough work I mean it was just a ruling dirty.

Very very strenuous.

Time and you know -- talking to these guys catching up with them.

-- I was really impressed with -- how all of them even with -- they may have developed since the war.

None of them regretted their service all of them -- proud of the work they did and it was an honored it to be there with them and watch them -- -- and we should be proud of them.

Rick thanks nice job sure thank you.

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