From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Bob Carlson, and this is Unfictional.

Unfictional is KCRW's program of stories and original documentaries. It's a part of

KCRW's Independent Producer Project, a laboratory for independent radio

producers, writers, and performers. And today on the program, a soldier returns home from war and everything

seems okay at first his parents do see a change in him could he be haunted

by something that happened in the battlefield?

There seems to be a whole new way of thinking about what it means to welcome home this generation of young soldiers.

Families are having to deal with issues like

PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and depression. Those sorts of things used to be

signs of weakness in the culture of the military, but attitudes may be changing.

Producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Leister have begun a series of programs that tell the stories of returning soldiers, and today on

unfictional, the first of those stories.

And it was pretty clear what Lance Corporal Nicholas Rodriguez wanted to do with his life, so it was no surprise

when he enlisted in the Marines.

He had ancestors who served in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

His grandfather fought in World War II. His father was a marine, and his

stepfather's brother passed away while on active duty in Afghanistan. As the latest family member to serve, Nick believed he was honoring both his country and his family.

His mother Anna and his stepfather Michael tell Nick's story. On KCRW

dot com it's unfictional.

My name is Anna Rodriguez and I live in Whitehall, Pennsylvania.

I am the proud mother of Lance Corporal Nicholas Rodriguez.

My name is Michael Geiger. I'm the proud stepfather of Nicholas Rodriguez.

...