As I sit here in my comfortable home drinking my coffee, I can’t help but think about my nephew that is on his way to his first deployment to Afghanistan. He is the youngest of four brothers that have served multiple combat tours since the war began.
While I was visiting the family in Mesa last week, I was able to speak with his older brother who served 2 tours with the 10th Mountain Special Forces in the most dangerous zone in Afghanistan. He was wounded twice and survived four IED attacks while serving. Listening to him speak reminded me of myself in 1970 when I returned from my combat tour with the 1st Marine division in I Corps, Vietnam, feeling lost, confused, depressed and alone as well as in physical pain from my wounds. In our conversation, it reiterated just how one is traumatized by either witnessing or participating in horrible scenarios that causes extreme PTSD.
Unless one has personally witnessed such horror, it is impossible to fully understand the range of emotions churning through the veteran. The flashbacks, nightmares, sadness, guilt, inability to concentrate or relax, the sleep loss and the numbness they exhibit even to loved ones. Though close family members usually have the best of intentions when trying to help the veteran, they are ill equipped to do so and it is not uncommon for them to take the actions of the veteran personal and become frustrated or even angry with the veteran.
From my own experience, one of the biggest obstacles facing combat veterans is the rejection from society in general. The lack of compassion and understanding only further alienates the veteran from reentering the civilian world, and encourages the self-medication through drugs and alcohol and escaping through dangerous behaviors, and sadly many times results in suicide.
I would ask that people refrain from blaming veterans for these conflicts that they in good faith became involved in. Please, honor our warriors, just as the Native Peoples of our country do. Do what you can to welcome them home.
