A disabled Gulf War veteran from Kent has lost his link with comrades, along with irreplaceable family photographs, with the theft of his laptop.
Former Bombardier Nick Munroe said the computer was worth very little in cash terms but money could not buy its sentimental value.
Police said the laptop was stolen by an opportunistic thief from Mr Munroe's home in Hardy Street, Maidstone.
It had been left on a table in the front room near a window left ajar.
Mr Munroe admitted it was "silly" to leave the window slightly open when he left the house for about an hour on Wednesday.
"But it is a really, really terrible thing to do - it has really knocked me," he said.
"The laptop is my link to the outside world.
"I don't go out a lot - I don't like crowded shops or pubs or lots of people around me.
"What I do like, and what helps me physically and mentally, is to be able to contact my friends when I want to and talk about stuff that people in civilian life have never experienced and will never experience."
Invalided out
His only photographs of his three children were on the Dell laptop, along with Army comrades' contact details and those of Gulf War groups he finds helpful.
Mr Munroe suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, was invalided out of the Army and is prone to panic attacks when he goes out.
Sgt Ian Jones said Maidstone Police were deeply shocked by the crime.
"We will be offering Nick the help of Victim Support, but that doesn't make up for the fact that he has lost a lot of memories and things of sentimental value," he said.
"The laptop may be completely worthless to the person who has taken it so we are appealing for anyone with information to contact us or Crimestoppers."
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