Page 32 - Total War on PTSD

“I want to dedicate this short story about a couple of my experiences while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom to all of the men and women of our armed forces.
Our experiences have touched all of us in some way. Most of us, who have been forward deployed, carry good memories of the things we’ve done, the places we’ve seen, and the camaraderie that we have experienced along the way. Still, some of us have memories of stress and fear and sadness and trauma that visit us in our sleep or at unexpected moments. For years I have kept those memories suppressed as much as possible and tried to shift my thoughts to more pleasant things. But that strategy never seemed to work for very long.
Sharing my stories, mainly writing about them, has helped a great deal in alleviating the sadness. On several occasions, I have had the honor of interviewing men and women who served in combat or field hospitals in Vietnam. I never press them for details, yet I have been surprised at how often these soldiers voluntarily share their stories of combat, trauma, and stress with me.
Their stories usually start with brief details about their war. And then, when they see that I am genuinely interested and that I am listening with sincere interest, their stories often come gushing out with all of the emotions that they felt at the time of the story’s happening. Along with those details almost always come tears — theirs and mine. It is not unusual after one of those interviews for the soldier to confide that that is the first time that they have ever shared that story with anyone since the war.
On every occasion that has happened, it seems that the soldier, even though he or she may be crying as they tell their story, begins to sit a little higher in their seat during the interview. It is as if some imaginary weight is being lifted from their shoulders. And, as I sit there listening, my
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