Trench Foot: The Vietnam War

Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one

Over the last decade, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have drastically increased the need for effective mental health services and treatment for U.S. veterans and service members, especially those suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Nearly 1.5 million American service members have been deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) since the attack on the Twin Towers in September 2001 (Price, Gros, Strachan, Ruggiero, & Acierno, 2013). Approximately 25% of soldiers and wounded warriors returning home from OEF/OIF present with mental illness due to combat-related violence and other trauma exposure (Steinberg & Eisner, 2015). According to Price and colleagues (2013), OEF/OIF soldiers and veterans are at greater risk for developing mental illness compared to others who served in past military operations.

Combat veterans are among the highest at risk for issues in transitioning form military life to civilian. Many potentially suffer from both physical and/or mental traumas. Many veterans and even active duty services members have allowed the unofficial culture of if you need mental or medical help you are weak. Many military families are also afraid of utilizing family support mechanisms out of fear of

Everyone close your eyes and let's all imagine something together. The setting is Iraq in a forest.You're lying down in a pool of sweat and blood. The darkness surrounds your whole being, and the only weapon you have against it, Is your gun. You hear footsteps running to your hideaway, your bush, until the shadow gets to close and you hear the cock of a gun .you finally pull the trigger on this shadows life. You stare down at your bloodshed uniform and at the corpse in front of you. And it was at that precise moment this man's corpse was engraved in your mind for all of eternity. Sounds like any other horror movie doesn't it?Well guess what this situation is a harsh reality for many of America's finest , our very own veterans. And the most sinister thing of it all is that it's all happening right under our noses, and at this point it's a elephant in the room that no one wishes to address. The conclusion that many americans have drawn is that if we simply avoid a problem it will disappear into thin air. And that's why i'm here today to express to you the silent killer that has struck America quite brutally. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or better known as PTSD. Hello Panel my name is Derek Gonzalez and today i come to serve one purpose and one purpose only, i came to address the

Today, hundreds of thousands of service men and women and recent military veterans have seen combat. Many have been shot at, seen their buddies killed, or witnessed death up close. These are types of events that can lead to Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD: A Growing Epidemic. “) Anyone that has gone through a traumatic event can be diagnosed with PTSD but research shows, military men and women are more susceptible to having PTSD (PTSD: A Growing Epidemic.) And, with little help from the US, many Veterans do not get the help they need or get treated for PTSD. Military men and women begin to

Veterans make up seven percent of the American population, but they account for twenty percent of its suicides. Yes, that is indeed a real statistic, more importantly, what is the government, the people that ordered those men and women deliberately into harm’s way, doing about this tragedy. In light of recent conflicts the United States has been engaging in, such as the conflicts in the Middle East, a new silent killer of returning veterans, has become more visible to the public. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD, has taken its toll recently on Veterans returning from the harsh

Society often has the expectation that all returning veterans automatically re-adjust to their surroundings, settle in, and begin where they left off before being deployed to war. They expect them to be the same fathers, veterans, participants in the workforce and partners that they once were (Stocker 2010). The lack of knowledge regarding the disorder they suffer from can lead society to pass judgement upon them in a negative way. They may feel that the veteran was weak in his actions or a coward for going to such extremes. This adds to the pain and suffering that the families of these veterans are already undergoing.

The Iraq war and the Afghanistan war involved several injuries; as well as, four thousand casualties, and the number of suicides from 2012 to present outnumbers the soldiers dead from combat. The high cost of soldiers were dying in an unpopular war by the Bush administration and the cost to Americans at home and abroad in caring for these wounded warriors, as a result, by 2003 to 2010 the deaths in military action suicides, and suicides at home at a rate of thirteen point five per one hundred thousand troops (Lancet). This only includes America’s causalities, not the deaths of Afghanistan, Iraq, allies and Iraq civilians killed during the war, yet on top of that; rebuilding their shattered lives. The tragedy of war did not just affect Americans; the American soldiers were in

Many veterans are unable to leave behind the trauma of Vietnam and psychologically return home. They struggle with a variety of extremely severe problems that neither they nor their families, friends, or communities knew how to understand

The U.S. military produces some of the bravest most heroic men and women on earth. From the moment the oath of enlistment is made to the time of separation or retirement, these courageous souls endure a number of amazing, historic and sometimes unbelievable events. They are praise for their service and lift even higher for their sacrifice, although most are unaware of the true sacrifices are made by some of these men and women. The most visible sacrifices or “outer sacrifices” are loss of life or loss of limbs while the inner wounds are bouts with depression, sexual assault, divorce, and most common alcohol other drug abuse.

This is very difficult for people to get jobs and have a social life. PTSD can make somebody hard to be with. Living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, and often avoids social situations can take a toll on the most resilient family. Research shows that Vietnam Veterans have more marital problems and family violence. Their children have more behavior problems than do those of Veterans without PTSD. Veterans with the most severe symptoms had families with the worst communication. This is because people who have PTSD have a hard time feeling emotions or expressing them. They may feel detached from others. This can cause problems in personal relationships with the spouse. The numbing and avoidance that occurs with PTSD is linked

Previously stated were the effects of war service remain a significant part of those who served. But let us not forget the families of veterans are also involved and impacted as well; dealing with changes and facing new challenges. Henry was struggling with not being able to relate to his family aftertime given to his country. “He jumpy and mean… [And] people got to leaving him alone” (580). In the article, “Impact Of Vietnam War Services On Veterans Perceptions Of Family Life”, Charles Hendrix and Lisa Anelli focused on at the ending of toured veterans dealing with PTSD and family satisfaction. This statement within the article was profound and appropriate, “Many Vietnam veterans returned back to their home countries at the end of their tour,

The war in Vietnam was a liberative exertion with respect to the Vietnamese, from provincial enslavement by western forces like France. Further division among the Vietnamese on political lines saw the heightening of the Cold War with the north accepting backing from comrade associates and the south from the US and other non-socialist nations. The US was vigorously included in the Vietnam War considering the expansive number of assets and troopers conveyed in the war-torn nation. Both sides of the Cold War were included to guarantee that neither benefitted from the political division of the nation to influence it to their side. The US was especially worried about the spread of socialism toward the south, in this way the war served to contain

War has tremendous effects on the human mind and impacts all parties involved. Remnants of war can dramatically affect relationships with loved ones and create greater problems ranging from financial problems to psychological damage that has more profound effects on the family infrastructure and its operation. The notion of war produces pressures and strains on the family that is not experienced everyday in the routine family life. Family member who experience PTSD from their service in the military also places unforeseen weights and consequences for the family to carry. There are specific effects distinct to a parent, a spouse, and children when a loved one is serving their country. The relationships between a service men and these family members are transformed with the absence and their reintegration.

Deployment and integration are one the greatest challenges military families and children have to face on a daily basis. When a family member deploys or reintegrates within the entire family, it not only affects the service member but it affects the entire family. Deployment can often lead to families and children, experiencing a negative mental health outcomes and compromised wellbeing. Bello (2015) found that most families and children (80.5% required less than one month to adjust to the return of their deployed parent (Bello, 2015). Accordingly, the families and children are often quick to adjust to having their family member back in the home. Interestingly, discoveries are surprising in light of the fact that when contrasted to another family, the discoveries are definitely unique. Boberiene (2014) found that three out of every four families feel that reintegration after the first three months is the most stressful phase of a deployment (Boberiene, 2014). This is because the family experiences many emotions while the member is away.