The Vietnam War was the longest and perhaps, the most controversial war in American history. The war lasted from 1955 to 1975; U.S. involvement began in 1961, with 60,000 American servicemen killed and approximately 2 million Vietnamese death (Over view of the Vietnam War). While there were many deaths, some of the war veterans have had a much different battle to face. One of the side effects of war is known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). .
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event - either experiencing or witnessing it. The symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event (Mayo Clinic). .
The Vietnam War presented life-threatening traumatic experiences (ie: the threat of injury or death to oneself) that can be linked to PTSD; that said greater causes of PTSD were from the act of killing someone or combat loss. .
"Active participation in combat trauma increased reports of post-traumatic stress disorder" (Van Winkle and Safer 107). Soldiers involved in heavy warfare, and particularly those who consciously and visibly killed enemy attackers, experienced higher levels of PTSD symptoms (Van Winkle and Safer 107). This indicates that those soldiers who have killed another person in the process of war are most likely to suffer from more severe symptoms of PTSD. Research with combat veterans from Vietnam has documented that a significant number of soldiers participated in acts of abusive violence, "such as terrorizing or mistreating civilians, torturing prisoners, using chemicals and bombs on villages, and mutilating bodies" (Currier et al. 73). Their findings also indicate that abusive violence can create a sense of moral violation, and that many veterans experience long lasting guilt regarding their involvement or inability to prevent such atrocities.
