By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

Ray Cote considers himself to be in the top 10 percent, but this is a fact, rather than a boast.

TOP TEN – Ray Cote, left, of Bow, and Liberty House President Don Duhamel, are among the 10 percent of Vietnam veterans who have gone on to successful lives after that war. Most faced serious problems adjusting. (N. Duke Photo)

From summer 1968 to 1971, Cote served three years of active duty in U.S. Army, serving one of those three years in Vietnam as a specialist fourth class. Surviving the war was only half of the battle, he said. Many soldiers returned home to fight drug addiction or alcoholism, make failed attempts at returning to normalcy and an unwelcoming general public.

Only one or two out of 10 veterans fully recovered after their tour of duty in Vietnam, and it often took a while for those one or two to get back on track, he said.

"When (troops) returned from the war, the government never really jumped on it to help (the veterans)," he said. "It was the people with strong families who would rally around them that survived. Thank God I had a strong support system."

Cote was born in Deerfield and was living there when he decided to enlist in the Army at age 19 in 1968. His father had served in World War II and several of his relatives had also served in the armed forces. Cote decided to follow a family tradition and joined the Army right out of high school.

In 1968, Cote began his training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina. He began his 12-month tour of duty in Vietnam in 1969, where he was part of the Capitol Military Assistance Command (CMAC) unit. CMAC's mission was to reset watch towers in Saigon that had been damaged during the Tet Offensive in 1968. Cote finished out his three-year tour at Fort Devins in Massachusetts.

Upon returning to his Deerfield home in 1971, Cote was shocked to find the disdain with which soldiers were being greeted. He said it took him nearly 15 years to realize that he had done nothing wrong - being a soldier was his job for three years and he had done what was required of him.

"You go, you do your duty, you put your uniform on and do the best you can," he said.

While other soldiers returned home and fought drug addiction, drinking problems and the inability to cope with a return to a society without war, Cote said one particular person helped to save his life - his wife of 32 years, Lucia.

"When I returned home, my wife asked me to go steady," he said. "She saved my life. She's my hero."

The birth of two twin daughters - Sara and Kristin - also helped direct Cote's focus in the years following his tour of duty.

"They grounded me for 20 years - responsibility kicked in," he said. "I could put my responsibility to my country in second place, so I could be responsible to my family."

For the past 22 years, Cote has worked for the Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), and is currently the working foreman for the Retrographic Department.

However, Cote is once again facing the difficulties of living as a war veteran - not his own difficulties, but those of others. For the past few years, he has worked with local homeless veterans through organizations such as the American Legion, the New Hampshire Veterans Association and, especially, Manchester's Liberty House, which provides housing for veterans having difficulty getting back on their feet.

The Liberty House was dedicated to Harold Paczosa, who died during the sinking of the ship Dorchester off Nova Scotia during World War II, thanks to his sister, Annette Nelson. However, the house did not open as a shelter for homeless veterans until April 2004, due to the diligence of Liberty House President Don Duhamel.

Cote took part in the refurbishing of the house, which he said was a battle in itself. He said he volunteered wherever he could, helping to scrape walls, wash rooms, paint the garage and get donations.

"We put it together piece by piece, day by day," he said. "There were good days and there were bad days."

The house, which is one of three shelters for homeless veterans in the state of New Hampshire, currently needs donations to install a lift for the handicapped outside of the building.

Cote, who received the PSNH Volunteer of the Year Award in 2003 for community service involving veterans, said he dedicates as much time as possible to helping fellow soldiers to get back on their feet and to remind them that they are not alone.

"Many of them just get lost in our fast-paced society," he said. "They think no one cares for them."

Cote said the purpose of the shelter is to give veterans a place to stay until they are able to find a job and ease themselves back into society. The goal is to finish this process in six months, though veterans can stay up to two years, he said. The shelter houses veterans, both men and women, from a number of wars, including Operation Desert Storm, the Vietnam War and the Korean War.

One of the most meaningful aspects of the house is that veterans can speak openly about their tours of duty with people who have had similar experiences, he said.

"They are able to accomplish things with each other that they cannot with counselors," he said. "Veterans are often not inclined to talk about their experiences - you bottle it up and have nightmares and no self esteem for yourself anymore. When (veterans) get together, someone will say something, and then the rest will slowly start talking. They need to talk about their past and deal with it."

A Liberty House flier reports that 33 percent of homeless males in the U.S. are veterans and that New Hampshire has 350 homeless veterans, 198 of whom are in Manchester.

Although Cote is proud of his work at the house and feels that homeless veterans with no place are now offered a place to get back on their feet, he said there are still many people who need help, both in New Hampshire and around the nation.

He said he has been lucky to have been among the one or two out of 10 Vietnam veterans that fully recuperated, so he feels obligated to help those who have not.

"I see how people have more good will toward vets these days," he said. "But why are there still so many homeless? That is what I am worried about. You don't have to be a vet to help a vet. Even if there is not a war going on, there are always casualties out there - just never forget them."