posted on Sep, 26 2018 @ 01:11 PM
a reply to:
Pinocchio
Not to speak of other countries, but in SA (remembering our Angolan or "bush" war) the veterans who came home maimed received more sympathy,
counseling and financial aid (even under the new ANC government they got disability grants and affirmative action for the disabled), whereas those who
came back physically competent were just expected to go on with civil life, and to grin and bear it.
In the early 1990's there was little interest in PTSD or psychological damage, and the only compensation from the state was for ex-soldiers who were
physically disabled.
And not to say those who became physically disabled due to war didn't deserve preferential treatment (actually the only treatment).
But, in comparison, often there wasn't even any collective disengagement (unlike World War II, when soldiers where mostly brought home collectively,
and then were stationed together for a month or so to talk about things before being let back into civilian society). It was more like Vietnam, where
soldiers were often flown home individually, and literally went from a war-zone to civil society within a fortnight. [For more on this see Lt. Col.
Dave Grossman's book:
On Combat, PPCT Reseach Publications, 2004.]
The result at the time in the white community was disastrous (since it was largely a white conscript army in South Africa at the time). Family
murders, or former-soldiers shooting their entire families and themselves were common - almost a daily event. And indeed, it was mainly the
able-bodies veterans who reacted like this. Those who spent time in military hospitals with other wounded veterans, and received other counseling
almost never did. Which made me wonder - is coming back from a war physically unharmed (but mentally unstable) a good thing to pray for?
edit on 26-9-2018 by halfoldman because: (no reason given)