Freeze Frame 4 Vets

If we look back at all the wars, there was a term that described a combat veteran’s state of mind after returning home. In World War I it was called Shell Shock, in World War II, Vietnam and Korea the term was Combat Fatigue, but today it is commonly referred to as post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Combat veterans who suffer the symptoms of PTSD might be hyper-vigilant, have difficulty with anger management and suffer from depression, etc. In fact, a majority of combat veterans dislike the Fourth of July because it reminds them of gunfire and explosions in combat zones.

 

 I have been out of the military for five years now and I can see how this will affect me down the road. The choices we made in a split second when taking another person’s life affects us in so many ways. Within a matter of moments my way of thinking became concrete the first time a round hit my vehicle window near the chair I was sitting in. When I shot back I didn’t think of taking someone’s life. I thought, “It’s either me or you, buddy, and damn if I’m going out without a fight.” I know this is a cynical way to look at this, but it is how I was trained along with my brothers and sisters who served in the military.

This is why when groups of veterans get together, they feel more comfortable. It’s because we already know that the other one will have their back without it even being said. It’s the camaraderie we all share. I had a friend who I met at Ft. Hood, Texas. Clinton and I shared a room together in the barracks and we became good friends. I wish that our roles had been reversed on the day he got hit by a mortar. I had just returned from my mission and stopped by the medical center to chat with Clinton and after a couple of moments of catching up, mortars started impacting our base. After running for the concrete blocks covered in sandbags designed to protect us from incoming attacks, I noticed my friend wasn’t in there with me. When I ran out with some of his fellow medics, we saw him. He had taken a piece of shrapnel from one of the mortars to his stomach -- something I don’t ever want to see again. After the medics did what they could for him, they evacuated him. I didn’t see him until I returned back to Fort Hood and when we went out it was as if we were brothers instead of friends.

To read the full article, please click this link: http://www.advocate-online.net/110509/O_SoldierColumn.php&ct=ga&cd=KXiauH3j4lg&usg=AFQjCNEH-Ufnrxn5uv8u1mOXx2IOiuWTHw