A Quiet Voice - tells of one man’s journey from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder through addiction, prison and homelessness to a dignified life and a successful career – based on a true story
- By Eugene Hairston as told to Susan Adger

In 1968, eighteen year old Eugene (Tree) Hairston runs headlong into racial discrimination while serving with the army in Vietnam. When he reports it, an angered sergeant retaliates by having him bound, beaten, then taken up in a helicopter and pushed out over Viet Cong territory. Miraculously, he survives.

Back home, undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) dominates his life and Hairston turns to drugs and alcohol, beginning the downward spiral familiar to many Vietnam vets. For thirty years all his attempts to get clean and sober fail. After three terms in prison he ends up in Tampa, Florida, where he lives on the streets for eight long years. In 1998, his life changes.

That Hairston achieves recovery after decades of struggle is an amazing and inspiring story. With help, he is able to shake loose the grip of PTSD and addiction, and now has a fulfilling life and successful career.

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Hairston says, “I wanted to write this book to provide encouragement to others with a history like mine. I want people to know it’s never too late to change your life.”

For anyone who has suffered the pain of PTSD or addiction, for those who know homelessness, and for everyone who has ever watched a loved one struggle with demons like these, “A Quiet Voice” offers encouragement and hope. This man’s life is proof that it is possible to emerge from decades of despair and become the person you want to be.

Today Hairston is the Environmental Management Services Training Officer at Bay Pines VA Hospital in St. Petersburg, FL. A popular speaker on recovery, he offers inspiration and hope to all seeking it. He is available for community speaking engagements.