It’s a good article and Sledge makes some excellent observations. However, he’s really a bit new to this stuff.
I served for 27 years in the Marines, starting out as an enlisted man in Vietnam. I was more prepared than most because I knew many WWII and Korean War vets and listened to their stories and their advice well before joining. The bottom line is that all combat veterans experience life-changing fear, horror, and sorrow. It’s just part of the human mechanism. PTSD, or whatever they call it, has always been there in varying degrees. You can’t do and see the things that happen in war without it affecting you.
The sad truth is that we get fine and mostly naive young men and put them into something no sane person can fully accept and then do close to nothing to help bring them back. You’re expected to just “suck it up” and drive on and above all, not bother the people back home with your problems.
It is what it is.
There's finally some very good programs in the VA.
That's not the same as all of society undertaking a burdensome outreach and giving support, but it is a step up from 1968 when the only PTSD treatment was a discharge and jail.
There are lots Viet Nam vets in these programs after all these years...still struggling to deal.
Only in the last 10 years...
Her article and suicide is dated 2014 and it says vets under 30 are the high suicide rate. Hell under 30 in 2014 were born after 1984. I can flat out state that the Viet vets never committed suicide like these today. The drug problems were not Vietnam Vets in the mid 60- to even early 69. The real dopers came after mid 69.I never saw pot in SF , and; I first heard we had some in training in late 69 at Bragg smoking Pot.SGM Ferguson had me walk the 6th Group barracks with him. The Dr who said hippies killed his wife and kids at Bragg was my Doc., Jeff MacDonald.
If you do bother the people back home or ask the VA to help with your problems they take away your 2A Rights.