The Vietnam War and its effects on military service members

Things They Carried After the War:

The Soldier's Psychological and Physical Scars from the Vietnam War

"Twenty years. A lot like yesterday, a lot like never. In a way, maybe, I'd gone under with Kiowa, and now after two decades I'd finally worked myself out. A hot afternoon, a bright August sun, and the war was over." -- Tim O'Brien from the Things They Carried

In the novel the Things They Carried which chronicles a soldier's journey in the years following the war, the protagonist spends two decades trying to move beyond the memory of the Vietnam War demonstrating the devastating, lasting, and complex toll that the War had upon the individual soldier. This journey toward redemption and solace is not unlike the journey of hundreds of thousands of Vietnam War veterans. Once they returned home, while not on an actual front, they had battles to wage within themselves and within a society that did not and could not understand the horrors of war. Indeed, these battles were neither well understood nor well received by the American public as a whole. In fact, today, we, as a society, are still trying to understand the effects of Vietnam upon the soldiers who served just as many of the soldiers, such as depicted in O'Brien's the Things They Carried, are still trying to understand how the war affected their lives. In retrospect, it is clear that these brave young men faced a multitude of challenges due to negative after-effects of the Vietnam War in areas ranging from poignant and lasting psychological wounds to newfound physical injuries and challenges.

Socio-Political Context Faced by the American Vietnam Veteran

"I first went to Viet Nam with the 3rd Marine Amphibious Force in 1965….I didn't have time to form an opinion about the conflict because we were too busy establishing a camp and establishing (sic.) relationship with the local citizens."

The Vietnam veterans who were fortunate to return to their homeland after their individual tour of duty did not receive a hero's welcome. While most Americans viewed World War II as the "good war," the Vietnam war was highly contested with an unclear distinction between war protests and appreciation for the individual soldier. The individual soldier, however, did not have the privilege of analyzing the whether or not the war was good or bad; instead, as noted by my grandfather who served in the war, they were "too busy" establishing their place in the war zone to debate whether or not the American government had committed itself to a war which it would not "win."

According to a study by Boulanger & Kadushin published in 1986, the soldiers' trauma that was actually experienced as a result of the Vietnam experience lead to adverse psychological reactions which revealed themselves through readjustment difficulties and were exacerbated by the perception of an unwelcome return.

My grandfather profoundly summarizes how he and others like him were perceived:

"I feel that the radical groups during the sixties were against the Military personnel. There was no support from a lot of people that were constantly protesting and making remarks that were hurting too many of the military men and women that was [sic.] risking their lives to make it possible for these groups to have the freedom to protest against the very people that was protecting them."

Indeed, if the soldiers were not facing tepid responses from those who did not agree with the war or hostility from those who actively protested against the war, then the soldiers received marked apathy from the American public: "The majority of Americans, it appeared, neither wanted to talk or think about their nation's longest and most debilitating war -- the only war the United States ever lost."

Accordingly, the Vietnam veteran returned from the turbulent time on the front lines to a nation of individuals whom either disagreed or did not care about talking about the war whatsoever. A hero's welcome was clearly absent. Ironically, this left the Vietnam veteran to sort out his or her issues -- be they psychological, physical, or mental - without the support of the American public for which they honorably sacrificed and risked their life.

Psychological Effects

According to a recent study, almost 19% of the more than three million U.S. troops who served in Vietnam returned with post-traumatic stress disorder (hereinafter referred to as PTSD).

Until Vietnam, the term PTSD was not used to describe a soldier's trauma after a war. Following Vietnam, there was no denying this phenomenon as men and women came back with psychological trauma. As such, we have come to understand that after a trauma, re-lived stress may occur immediately thereafter or it can be delayed for more than 6 months after the event. When it occurs soon after the trauma, it usually gets better after 3 months. However, some people have a longer-term form of PTSD, including many Vietnam veterans, and this disorder may last for many years.

In fact, a recent study revealed that between 1999 and 2004, the total number of Vietnam veterans receiving disability benefits for PTSD increased by approximately 79.5%. Moreover, in response to the contention that this may be the result of secondary gain and/or fraud, medical research by Columbia University revealed that by and large what is reported and experienced by these veterans is genuine.

Consequently, PTSD is a bona fide medical condition which has greatly affected the lives of thousands of Vietnam veterans and, unfortunately, has even persisted to afflict many to this day.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome is not a medical condition to be taken lightly as people with PTSD have ongoing frightening thoughts and horrific memories of their ordeal and, as a result thereof, they may feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once closed to. Consequently, they may experience sleep problems, feel detached or isolated, become easily startled, experience outbursts of anger or frustration, have difficulty concentrating, and may avoid things that remind them of the stressful experience. Not everyone who experiences war will develop PTSD or will be debilitated by it. While the exact reason or cause of this disorder is unknown, researchers believe that psychological, genetic, physical, and social factors have an impact on how the body will react to stress and trauma and, thus, whether or not an individual will develop PTSD as a result of the trauma that he or she has experienced. Furthermore, research of Vietnam veterans demonstrates that those with strong support systems were less likely to get PTSD than those without such systems.

In fact, my grandfather's experience as a veteran supports this finding since he admits that it was his belief in God and the support of his family that pulled him through the trauma itself: "There were times when God protected me from danger. Through these situations, it drew me closer to God. It also remembered [sic.] me that my family, friends and church was praying for my safety."

My grandfather, indeed, was one of the lucky ones. He returned from the war with his faculties and his limbs intact and, despite feeling the hostility of those whom disagreed with the war effort, he did have the love and support of his faith and his family to pull him through the difficult remembrances. Perhaps, this is what helped make him part of the Vietnam veteran subgroup whom was fortunately not afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Physical Scars from the Vietnam War

In addition to coming home with PTSD, some veterans experienced physical symptoms and illness as a result of exposure to toxins called Agent Orange that was used by the United States during the war from 1961 to 1971 to remove trees and underbrush that was used by enemy forces.

Vietnam soldiers were exposed to these herbicides; and, even the Department of Defense has admitted to their deleterious health effects. According to a recent press release on March 25, 2010, by the Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, the Veterans Administration has added additional "presumptive" diseases for Vietnam veterans. The proposed regulation will establish B-cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia, Parkinson's disease, and ischemic heart disease as associated with Agent Orange exposure.