‘It follows you forever’: Albany Iraq veteran shares his story

ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Before Albert Campbell built a career selling cars in Albany, he served in the Army during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.Today, he says the lessons he learned in the military helped him succeed. But the hardships of war have stayed with him, too. He hopes his story will help people understand the sacrifices he says are sometimes overlooked on Veterans Day.“People say ‘thank you for your service’ and then move on,” Campbell said in an interview, “but veterans, especially war veterans? Man, we served over there. You sleep with it, go to the bathroom with it. You can’t ever leave it behind, and it follows you forever.”Campbell says he joined the U.S. Army on May 26, 2000, because he wanted to follow his family’s history of service. His grandfather and father both served in the Army, while his uncle spent his entire career in the military.“It was a big family thing,” Campbell said, “and so I was just proud to be able to say I was doing it too.”After basic training, Campbel