Emotional numbing of combat

The article by Mark Van Ells (click on post title for link) published in VFW magazine in 2002 demonstrates how for a small number of WWII vets the war never ended. According to the author, only about 6% of the 16 million servicemen actually saw sustained combat. Maybe that's why the myth of the well-adjusted WWII vet began. So many had not seen combat and therefore had not experienced the trauma of war. My dad, a paratrooper, told me that when he came home, nobody wanted hear about that side of war. So they were left silent with no outlet or support.

PTSD Combat blog

Ilona Meagher's blog(click on favorite links) is a wonderful resource for all who are concerned about our military who have PTSD. I have been inspired by her commitment to this issue and credit her with making many aware of the limitations of the care given to our brave veterans.

Homefront

This link (click on title) is to an interview with a poet who has captured the allure and madness of war. Patricia Monaghan is a daughter of a WWII and Korean war vet who is eloquently breaking the silence of the boomer children who never quite understood the trauma experienced by their fathers. It took the Vietnam war and discussion of PTSD for me to personally comprehend the journey my father had to travel.

Organization for children of World War II veterans

I am in the process of getting tax exempt status for our Daughters of D-Day nonprofit, which is still in the beginning stages. We would like to create an educational program for schoolchildren wherein the children of the vets can tell their dads' stories in the historical context, but their children can add the personal touch which makes history more compelling.

Long lasting effects of PTSD

This article (click on title of Post) in the Ledger-Enquirer shows the long lasting effects of PTSD on a Vietnam Vet. The alcohol abuse, the nightmares are similar to that of WWII vets who were never diagnosed correctly, just like the Vietnam vet in this article. The therapist mentioned, Dr. Bridget Cantrell, had a WWII and Korean war veteran dad and she is empathetic to what the families go through.

Daughter of World War II veterans

I'm the daughter of two World War II veterans - one (my dad) a "hero" who was portrayed in the movie and The Longest Day and written about in quite a few military history books. My other dad (my stepdad) is one of the nameless millions who did their service and came home and lived the Greatest Generation mythical life.

Just guess which one had the alcoholism, 2 children dying premature deaths and 3 marriages?

That's right - my hero dad. All the attention he got in his later years for his war exploits never talked about the legacy of war and the trauma visited upon our family.