My uncle (my mother’s little brother) was 17 years old when he had to hit the beach at Iwo Jima. He and the boys crawling out of that landing craft into the surf that day was the “second wave to hit the beach”. They ran into carnage, the dead bodies of the first wave lying there, dying, maimed.
What happened on the beach that day? He didnt get past that day, even after marrying and having a couple of cute little boys. He took his own life, leaving all of us, missing him to this day.
Vietnam then left many of my generation marred and broken. PTSD is not an excuse, as some now think, but possibly an explanation why people lose their sanity and self-control- go berserk.
I am sure some may use it that way - as an excuse, but I wonder how old you are, and how many of your friends and family have suffered because of war? My grandsons have no understanding of horrible war can be, probably because of modern computer based video games. I have noticed that my son, 82nd Airborne, Northern Iraq, Operation Comfort - rescuing the Kurds, doesn’t talk about what he and his men endured, and what happened to the Kurds when caught by Saddam’s men. I notice he doesn’t seem interested in such games, avoids them...
I know even the strongest of men have suffered for years after the savagery of combat and hope we never have to send young men to war again. But I doubt my hopes will come true. War is not like a video game on the internet.
I do not know about the man in Utah, so am just telling you my thoughts in general.
Nailed it!