[robowombat]

Indeed. When I returned from my first tour I had lost so much weight and had a persistent upper repiratory tract infection which caused me to constant sniffle that they thought I had become a crazed doper ready to explode into homicidal rage. Took a couple of weeks to convince them I just wanted quiet, sleep, good food and be let alone to read. This crap was posionous, even my next door neighbor who was the wife of a retired career army officer if I was having flashback and rage issues since it was reported many GI’s had these issues. Damn the media harpies. Guys who had issues like after every war were viewed with the deepest suspicion rather than just given a welcome and asked if they wanted anything (not the current Playboy centerfold).

[Chainmail]

You are correct: the assumptions were that we were people to be avoided when we got back and that was the Maraschino Cherry on top of the pile of hurt the World had waiting for us. On one hand, it helped to be avoided because we really didn't need a bunch of stupid, unfeeling questions ("How did it feel to kill somebody?" "How many did you get?" "We won our war - why can't you win yours?") but on the other hand, it reduced our dating options.

I had some lady with a ten-year-old kid in tow come up to me while I was in uniform and say loudly "I'll never let my son join the Marines!".

I said "Lady, I never asked my mother if I could join the Marines - and when your son is a man, he won't ask you either". Her kid grinned and at me and she dragged him off, scowling at me.

Ah, yes - welcome home.