USMCGrunt
10-Year Member
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 3,498
Suicides
- Thread starter USMCGrunt
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2017
- Messages
- 1,291
A lot of groups are facing similar trends: police, first responders, farmers, even veteranarians. It's affecting most areas of American life these days. So painful, but it must just be incredibly worse in a closed community like a ship. Prayers to all.
UHBlackhawk
5-Year Member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2015
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- 2,342
PTSD is not new- it’s even mentioned in the Old Testament.
I think what may be different is the rush to integrate back into society versus the past, and the small percentage of society that currently serves. Two different examples from my background.
When VJ Day occurred my father was in Marseille preparing to board a ship for the Pacific Theater. He saw major combat in Europe from December ‘44 on, but didn’t have enough points to get out of it and it was anticipated that the 75 MM mule pack artillery he manned would be needed for the invasion of Japan. To say the least he was a grateful 20 year old when that was called off. He spent the next several years doing occupation duty in Austria and playing football with people who had similar experiences.
When he went home it took several more months to cross the Atlantic on a ship and out process from the Army. He finally got back to college in 1947 where most of his football team mates were also ex service members.
Growing up on my street it was not “if you served” but what branch of Service. He had friends and neighbors who all went through the same thing and, looking back, their BBQs were a kind of group therapy. Still, I know the loss of 800 men from his division in one night haunted him to the day he died.
My experience was quite different. First off, my 1+ year deployment was tedious. I did nothing heroic and I didn’t see anything traumatic.
I finished out processing in theater on a Saturday and boarded an airplane home. We landed stateside on a Sunday. Monday-Wednesday I out-processed, then hit the last station and was given a ticket home. I got home Thursday and hung up my military uniform for the last time less than a week after leaving theater.
Aside from my wife, no one on our street had served in the military much less been to combat. At work it was a little better as other airline pilots had also been recalled. But it also wasn’t common. Again, I didn’t see any real combat or experience any trauma. For someone who had I can really see how you would feel like you were cast adrift.
I think what may be different is the rush to integrate back into society versus the past, and the small percentage of society that currently serves. Two different examples from my background.
When VJ Day occurred my father was in Marseille preparing to board a ship for the Pacific Theater. He saw major combat in Europe from December ‘44 on, but didn’t have enough points to get out of it and it was anticipated that the 75 MM mule pack artillery he manned would be needed for the invasion of Japan. To say the least he was a grateful 20 year old when that was called off. He spent the next several years doing occupation duty in Austria and playing football with people who had similar experiences.
When he went home it took several more months to cross the Atlantic on a ship and out process from the Army. He finally got back to college in 1947 where most of his football team mates were also ex service members.
Growing up on my street it was not “if you served” but what branch of Service. He had friends and neighbors who all went through the same thing and, looking back, their BBQs were a kind of group therapy. Still, I know the loss of 800 men from his division in one night haunted him to the day he died.
My experience was quite different. First off, my 1+ year deployment was tedious. I did nothing heroic and I didn’t see anything traumatic.
I finished out processing in theater on a Saturday and boarded an airplane home. We landed stateside on a Sunday. Monday-Wednesday I out-processed, then hit the last station and was given a ticket home. I got home Thursday and hung up my military uniform for the last time less than a week after leaving theater.
Aside from my wife, no one on our street had served in the military much less been to combat. At work it was a little better as other airline pilots had also been recalled. But it also wasn’t common. Again, I didn’t see any real combat or experience any trauma. For someone who had I can really see how you would feel like you were cast adrift.
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I feel strange giving a "like" to this post, as it is more of a thank-you for posting it, @USMCGrunt.