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Harry & Meg’s vow on PTSD vets
PRINCE Harry and Meghan have pledged to do more for soldiers with PTSD after meeting the mum of an Afghan war hero who killed himself.
The duke and duchess had an intimate chat with Viv Johnston before the Endeavour Awards in London last week.
Viv’s son Danny, 35, who served in the elite Special Reconnaissance Regiment in Afghanistan and Iraq, took his own life last year after suffering post-traumatic stress disorder.
Viv, 62, who is involved in the veterans mental support group All Call Signs, said: “We were shown to a private room and Harry and Meghan came in. They were absolutely wonderful.
“They were both so genuine and were really sad to hear about what happened to Danny but they were also really interested in the All Call Signs organisation.
“We chatted about the problems of PTSD and Harry said that he would like the “D” dropped from PTSD.
“He doesn’t think it should be referred to as a disorder because that description lays the blame on the sufferer.
“He was very knowledgable about PTSD. It is a subject he obviously under- stands well. I said to Harry that much more needs to be done to help veterans and service personnel suffering from PTSD and other mental health problems and he nodded.
“They were both very interested in seeing how veterans and serving personnel with mental health issues can be helped.
“He was also very sympathetic to what is currently going on with veterans and the problems of suicide.
“I then asked if he would like an All Call Signs wrist band and I expected someone to take them away once I handed them over but both he and Meghan, smiled said thank you and put them on straight away.” Harry and Meghan were chatting so much that the awards ceremony – for injured members of the armed forces who use sport and adventure to recover – was delayed.
Viv said: “Three very panicky-looking blokes came in at one stage and said ‘ Sir, we have to go, people are waiting’ and he said ‘well, I’m talking’, and we carried on chatting.
UNRAVEL
“Meghan was so sweet and caring they both were very genuine and I was very moved that they cared so much about what had happened to Danny – that meant a lot.”
Danny had served for 10 years in the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment before joining the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. His job was to carry out undercover research of enemy targets before the SAS attacked.
His life began to unravel after he was forced to leave the Army in 2014 when he was found in possession of valium prescribed for somebody else.
Viv from Bognor Regis, West Sussex, said: “He was a very clever person. He spoke fluent Arabic and friends said he was in the top one per cent of soldiers.
“But when he returned from Afghanistan he was having trouble sleeping. I think that’s probably when things started to go wrong.
“Four weeks before he died he was found by police in woods sitting beneath a tree with a rope. I tried to help but he didn’t want me to do anything.”
Mum of three Viv said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex learnt of her son Danny’s death in West Sussex woodland last May through a friend who works in Kensington Palace.
Viv added: “After Dan died I received a letter of condolence from Harry.
“He said he was very sad to hear about what had happened to Dan. He was clearly very moved.”