In America there are veteans who will talk about there experiences and those who wont even though there they might have post tramatic strees disorder what percentage of veterans talk about there experiences of a war or in the military?
2006-09-29 08:07:39 · 16 answers · asked by thelongestday41 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
My dad did two tours in Vietnam in a construction unit of the Marine Corps. He didn't talk about it for years with anyone other than other veterans he knew and even then not much. In the last six years or so, he's opened up more about it. He has told me and Mom several stories. Some are funny while others are pretty sad. He also got out some slide pictures he took in Vietnam and let us see them. It really makes the Vietnam Conflict come alive and become more personal when I think about my dad being involved. I think about it more now that I have seen his pics and heard his stories. One he told me was that the only kill he ever had to make was one time when he was operating a large crane. They were building a bridge and snipers were shooting at them. Dad saw where one of the snipers were in a tree and swung the crane arm around so that it knocked the man out of the tree. He fell and landed in such a way that it killed him. He says its ironic that even though he was one of the best shots in his division when he was at Camp Pendelton (and won two marksmanship medals) yet he never fired his rifle in Vietnam. He saw plenty of people who had been shot or blown up though. It haunts him to this day. I think books like the ones TimeLife put out several years ago, movies like Full Metal Jacket and veterans magazines he's read have helped him feel more comfortable about talking about it with us. He said Full Metal Jacket and We Were Soldiers were pretty accurate and that some of the scenes in the films were similar to what he saw there.
2006-09-29 08:22:29 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
+ I am a veteran and there are some things that I will talk about and there are other things that I might never talk about. There are some things I will only talk to another veteran about. I think it is pretty normal. As far a Post Traumatic Stress, it seems that everyone has it now, because dad didn't get them a bicycle or mom would not let them have the cereal that they wanted. It is so watered down that real shell shock as it used to be called, is called something very different. Be careful of what you want to hear, because you might hear more than you can handle and get PTS
2006-09-29 11:34:39 · answer #2 · answered by Clamdigger 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Those that have been covered with the gore of what was once their best friend or have seen the pile of little children's arms cut off by the Communist because you vaccinated them the day before tend not to talk about the military at all. They only talk at the VFW with people that know what they are talking about and you just wouldn`t understand.
These are the very few 1 in 50 vets.
2006-09-29 09:23:45 · answer #3 · answered by Gone Rogue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most vets talk about their experience in war. They know that is the only way they can be helped. Whether it be with therapy or therapy and medication. A very small percentage of vets (particularly from the Vietnam War) like to live secluded lives away from crowded, suburban areas. They do not like to talk about their experiences and very few get treatment. Those who do get in therapy have a much better quality of life.
2006-09-29 08:19:52 · answer #4 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think Iraq war veterans are a lot more open than people from the two World Wars, at least in my experience. Both of my grandfathers fought in World War II and they will talk about it sometimes but not often. I have two uncles that fought in Vietnam and they tell stories and neither have experienced PDSD. I have friends who have fought and lost friends in Iraq and they are also willing to talk about their experiences.
I think it has a lot to do with people understanding this problems more than they did 50 years ago.
2006-09-29 10:04:21 · answer #5 · answered by Curt 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The answer is no for most that I have met or spoken with. One of the reasons is that most people just don't have the references to understand what they are getting told. This is why they usually only discuss experiences with other vets if at all. Even other vets seldom have the same backgrounds so they really have little connection. I'm not a vet.
2006-09-29 09:03:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All depends
There are a few thing that I plain wont talk about, and will walk away if someone else does. But general chit-chat about the military hasn't bothered me for quite some time.
Source
Bien Hoa AB 1963
2006-09-29 08:39:22 · answer #7 · answered by tom l 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know about past wars, but I have several friends who were deployed to Iraq. Even though they weren't supposed to see combat because they weren't grunts, they still did. None of them will talk about it. They think that by not talking about it, it might be easier to forget. Plus, many vets don't feel comfortable talking about it unless it is with other war vets.
2006-09-29 16:39:52 · answer #8 · answered by PinkBrain 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My father was an anti-mine specialist for the Army (Infantry) in the Pacific during WWII. He was awarded 2 Bronze Stars.
He did not talk about his experiences.
2006-09-29 08:19:13 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
A lot of vets that have been in wars don't really talk about it a lot. People in my family saw such horrific things in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. they don't really talk about it. and have said as much. From a uncle who helped liberate concentration camp in WWII and Father in law was in the Europe during WWII and Battle of the Bulge
2006-09-29 08:18:21 · answer #10 · answered by Belladonna 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋