Do vets have a duty to tell civilians honestly what combat IS REALLY LIKE? Is it too personal? Their story ALONE? Another of endless sacrifices?

Question

Lliam · Accepted Answer

They have no duty or obligation. Many of them might not want to try to put the sights, sounds and emotions into words. They might prefer to forget those experiences rather than relive them, even though they play over and over in their minds. And, if they did share their experiences, they would be too much for a lot of listeners to bear.

Most people are not like Israelis who revel in the torture and death of innocents. Normal human beings don't celebrate such things.

My dad used to tell anecdotes about things he experienced in WWII. He landed on Utah Beach, was in every major battle, made it to the end of the war and the occupation of Germany. He was assigned as a runner, taking messages back and forth between the front lines to forward command and was wounded twice. Runners supposedly had some of the highest casualty rates.

What's interesting is, he described horrific things but would make them sound like a lark, chuckling and saying "Boy was I scared." He wouldn't describe blood and gore but instead would say things like "It was a mess."
I was fascinated by his stories. But even though he didn't describe blood and guts or acknowledge his feelings of terror, I could picture the scenes in my mind.

He fired his gun a lot in battle but wasn't sure if he had ever hit anyone. And he never deliberately killed anyone. That fact probably gave him peace of mind.

One time, when he was old and in a nursing home, he told me that he had having "icky" dreams lately, referring to images of things he saw and experienced during the war. He didn't want to talk about it, though. He wasn't upset, he was just acknowledging uncomfortable dreams. He was always a light hearted, kind, fun loving guy.

I have read books that included first hand accounts of battle. I think that is the best way to understand the horrors of war. It's too bad that few people read.

OneViewpoint · Accepted Answer

Here's the thing. I don't have PTSD. I can talk about it. But I don't want to. Why, because I've tried to make make people understand and they just can't. It's a long conversation and it's pointless, so why try. And in the long view, it's not very important for the average person to know. It is so far outside the reality of the 97% who never served and saw combat that they just aren't capable of really understanding the roller coaster of physical and mental assault on the senses along with the periods of sitting around in absolute boredom waiting for the roller coaster to come round again. Non gourmet food, poor hygiene, heat, cold, lack of sleep or intermittent sleep. Flexible morality and ethics. The choices you made yesterday that have to live with today because there's new choices to make and you can't fuck those up either. Etc.

Olivier24 · Accepted Answer

No. A lot of vets have PTSD from things they experienced in combat. Would you support rape victims having a duty to talk about their rape? I hope you wouldn't. We all have a right to our own stories and to be able to tell them, or not tell them how we see fit.

msmissydc · Accepted Answer

No duty at all. A right to share it in the means of freedom of speech. They should have access to free psychological counceling if they need someone to talk though. Maybe add self helping groups to talk. No duty and no one has to listen.

msc545 · Answer

No, most of these stories are horrific for civilians to hear and equally horrific, if not more so, for veterans to have to relive. Reliving the events of combat often causes a great deal of distress in veterans who already have PTSD and sometimes reactivates dormant symptoms. I know this because I diagnose and treat veterans with PTSD. Some things are better left unsaid, although these kinds of stories will often discourage others from joining the armed forces of the United States, and that is a good thing given the current situation.

Nobody should have to incur legal and moral injury by following, or by being forced by circumstances to follow, illegal orders. That is exactly what the leader of our current administration has done.

exitseven · Answer

My father was a POW in WW2. He was put into a prison farm. To hear him talk about it , it was the best 18 months of his life. He talked about pigs and chickens and growing crops. He never talked about the bad stuff that happened.
Then one day we went to lunch with another POW and these two guys swapped some stories. I guess my father felt more compfrtable talking to somebody who had the same experience.
These guys surred enought, they do not have to relie it

Spencer10 · Answer

A duty? No. But it may be helpful to dispel the idea that war is all glory and medals. Maybe people in leadership who have never seen combat should be educated about its horror so they will make better choices in the use of military force. So educating civilians could be helpful.

Pterodon · Answer

I’m picky about who I share my experiences with. I’d never share with a liberal like you because I hate everything you stand for and you don’t deserve to hear it

FunkyMonkee · Answer

My singer never liked talking about his years in the Marines during Vietnam.

Likes2drive · Answer

I would think they would like to share, but the experience was probably overwhelming and scary

loveslongnails · Answer

They have no such "duty" to do so.

Do vets have a duty to tell civilians honestly what combat IS REALLY LIKE? Is it too personal? Their story ALONE? Another of endless sacrifices?

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