The movies depict surviving war veterans as permanently psychologically scarred by the horrors of war.
I'd like to hear from war vets who served in a war. Did you come back a changed person, and in what way?|||I served two tours in Iraq. I was there for the invasion in '03 and then back in '04 for the occupation. As a wounded Marine combat veteran I can honestly say that I am changed. I did see a lot of combat compared to most that were over there. Some Marines that were on the base supporting the combat operations had a really tough time. The fob would get mortared about 3-5 times a day with anywhere from 4-18 or so shells each time. So alot of the guys on the fob had close calls and were extremely affected by the attacks. I was on ops everyday working with EOD and we would get contact on every op that we went on. Some guys in my squad weren't affected as much as others. But the universal feeling was a sense of accomplishment and an enhanced perspective on life. For me, I was hit by an 82mm mortar while I was in a phone tent. Go Figure! When I got med-evaced out, I had to leave my squad. I was Squad leader and the only thing I wanted to do was get back to my Marines. Unfortunately I was hit in the leg, arm, back and foot with the frag. The ARMY doctors in Baghdad would not let me go back to my squad. So that was an added stress on my emotions. I had chronic nightmares for about 2 and a half years after i was hit. I had trouble watching the news, as there was a lot of coverage of the war and some other common things associated with PTSD
All in all the hardest part was lying to my mother while I was there. She knew that I was in the triangle of death and the threat was there 24/7. So when we get some down time I would write her an e-mail and tell her it was quiet. But I knew that me being over there was ruining her life. Her friends told me that she was a wreck while I was there. For me that was the worst. My unit wouldn't have fire superiority for hours at times in cities in Iraq, being pinned down and not being able to get air support. But I knew that my mother was taking it harder then I was.
Conclusion: I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I have no regrets and the only thing that won't let me go back is the fact that I have been diagnosed with PTSD.
Feel free to email me with any other questions|||my dad passed away in 99 he was a ww2 vet. sometimes he was in awe of what happened most of the times he didnt talk. sometimes he just cried. it took years for him to even sleep right at night my mom would say. my brother was a vet of viet nam. he never talked about it to me until i got back from desert storm. me......well i didnt see anyone shot. i did see dead bodys. i did understand that once the war started we had a better chance to get back home so i was in a bring it on attitiude. i would have and still would today do what i need to do to protect my family. it didnt matter if i was in a tent in the middle of the sand or with my blood family here in the usa. i saw a different culture there and it made me very happy to be a woman of the united states of america. sometimes i am very jumpy becouse of the things that i did see and i do scare easy. but i am working on these issues on a daily bases. it has made me treasure my belief in God and has giving me a backbone that will never go away. God bless our troops and bring them home.|||i did not think i came back a changed man,i lost most of my civil friends.i now suffer from post traumatic stress disorder,i never speak of the war.except to people who were there with me,and my psychiatrist.my family has suffered,i still have dreams,not all bad but always about war.|||Everyone has a different experience, so everyone reacts differently.
I'm sure my experience in Iraq was a walk in the park compared to some WWII or Vietnam vets. If anything else, it did teach me to apreciate how easy of a life I have back here.|||It made me appreciate stuff back home more. You don't really know until you been there. Mentally, I'm good, some guys are affected more than others.|||War no matter what kind will always effect a soldier, from seeing dead bodies up close, killing people, and losing limbs you will never be the same person people knew you as....|||Thank GOd they are taking the brunt of what you all will feel if you dont get smart! GOd Bless all the Vets! Rep in 08 or you can feel what a soldier feels!|||All I know now is I would go fight again,but not for some bullsh#% war, not for money. its all about pride and greed.Ive learned to live my life for me and thats what everyone should do.it might seem all glorious to go war and fight the bad guys,but thats all a bunch of hype, your gonna get shot at and killed or take away someone elses life, war is hell,and it's sad kids are fooled into bein hero's.but sometimes life doesnt seem to give most kids an option nowadays.I feel for all these guys doin 3 tours in iraq,because it mentally f's you up,and when you come back,life as you used to know it has passed you by.|||a good friend of mine is a vietnam vet. it is so sad that life and death is virtually meaningless to him. when his brother died, he was cleaning up his apt. the same day, throwing out pictures etc, saying who would want his "junk". the same thing with his oldest and closest friend. another friend of his is in the hospital with inoperable cancer, and he doesn't visit. he says hospitals are cold, sterile and boring. if his friend wanted to visit he'd go to the bar! it must be horrible to have to kill someone or be killed by them. i'm sure no-one could do this and remain unchanged.|||lets just say it may very well make it extremely difficult for them to adapt to civilian lifestyle. they have seen things that most ppl havent and alot of them have ptsd. im talking seeing children commit heinous crimes, adults setting children on fire and not able to do anything but stand by and watch becuz our govt. tells them not to shoot. they are made to stand by while carpetbagging companies actually do their jobs in iraq and afghanistan making them deal with socialization of the iraqis and afghanis, and teaching them how to do security and medical. now this isnt our soldiers, marines jobs this is above and beyond. and its also a tiny bit offensive and make them feel worthless and bored and also terrified that the next paperbag they pick up is an ied. so they become a bit paranoid, but i know not one person that wouldnt be effected by this type of treatment by our govt in this situation. this is the largest corporate infiltration into a war since the civil war. and many its jsut creating mass confusing. everyone i know who comes back is a changed person. not one person can come back out of a hostile zone where watching women raped and children molested and murdered, using schools as hiding places and hospitals as recruiting stations for terrorism. kinda makes u begin to lose ur faith in humanity. everyone handles it in their own way but many crack mentally and emotionally and cant return to the everyday rigours of civilian lifestyle in the USA. best thing anyone can do for them is get them involved in the ptsd support groups, therapy, and understand yourself by listening. you may never completely get a grasp on what their minds are going thru but u can help by sticking by them no matter what. if u really wish to help get a psych. degree our VA is hugely short of therapists and many go without help. i hope i was able to bring the slightest amount of clarity to ur question and u are able to make a decision about what u wish to do. good luck and blessed be ..E.G|||vietnam syndrome!|||everyone deals with it differently
Some get over it, others never will
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