Four veterans with PTSD return to Vietnam in 1999 Pt1
I found the video above on youtube from the 1999 documentary “Shellshocked”. In this clip, four veterans give accounts on their experiences returning home as well as their experiences returning back to Vietnam in order to “confront their demons”. I found this video relevant to the novel God’s Go Begging in which one can gain a better understanding of Jesse’s troubles. We see how veterans from the documentary often turn to drinking in order to drown out their flashbacks, just as Jesse does in the novel. One veteran was so delusional he even stuck a gun in his mouth and was found chewing on the end of the barrel while the gun was fully loaded.
In addition to the video being purely informative on PTSD, I also found that it raises one particular issue concerning our veterans. This issue is that of mental help. I find it odd that our government does not advocate for therapists or counselors when the veterans return to talk about how they are feeling and find ways to cope with the ptsd. Our soldiers have given all of themselves for this country and our wars, but nothing is implemented to make sure that after war, they will be alright. As one of the veterans stated, “Not all scars from the war are visible. Some are left in the mind”.
I think that in it’s time, and during WWII, PTSD wasn’t recognized as a treatable mental disorder as it is now. As we discussed, it was simply known as shell shock and it seems that the preferred means of dealing with it back then was heavy drinking(post WW2)and drugs(Vietnam. Having said that, I still feel we have a long way to go in offering mental health support and services to our veterans. I find it fascinating that these veterans decided to go back to Vietnam to face their memories and experiences and shows a strength of character that many would not be able to manage. It definitely illuminates Jesse, the Padre and P.F. Flyers experiences. War changes people permanently and oftentimes invisibly. Oftentimes it is not only the veterans, but their loved ones who are left to deal with the fallout.