[Verginius Rufus]

When I was growing up and even when I was in college a lot of the men I knew were WWII veterans. But I don’t remember them talking about their experiences, except for my father who told us many stories about the war.

[MacNaughton]

My mother was between 10-15 during WWII. She said that whenever there were family gatherings which included WWII vets, the vets never talked about their experiences.

It is clear from Eugene Sledge's 2 books, the 2nd was China Marine, that he was sorely afflicted with combat fatigue (PTSD). It was his wife who encouraged him to write the books in an attempt to moderate his condition. I met a man 2 years ago who had done some work for Sledge's son in Hoover, AL. The son said that he remembered as a small boy that his father would retreat to a room to brood.