Retirement wiped out at 72

I am 72 years old and a Vietnam veteran. I heard a radio ad for Lear Capital that said gold was the safest place for retirement savings. The ad featured a military-themed pitch about protecting what I had earned. I moved $95,000 from my pension into a gold IRA. They sold me what they called "exclusive military tribute coins" at prices I now know were roughly 180% above the metal value. These were not rare coins - they were standard proof coins with patriotic packaging. When I tried to sell them back 18 months later, the best offer I received was $38,000. I lost more than half my retirement savings on markups alone. I served my country for 20 years, and these people used that service to manipulate me into a terrible investment. I wish I had known to just buy plain gold bars or coins at spot price plus a small premium.