The Psychological Effects of the Vietnam WarEssay Preview: The Psychological Effects of the Vietnam WarReport this essayPsychological Battle of the Vietnam War Emily Wingfield B Block US History Mr. Schuh 4/17/17War causes many psychological wounds in veterans which impact their lives for years to come. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD, is only one of the psychological wounds that have impacted veterans of war combat over the course of American history. PTSD is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes the mental and emotional stress of individuals following exposure to a traumatic experience (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”). Approximately 7-8% of people in the United States will suffer from PTSD at some point in their life (“How Common Is PTSD?”). PTSD has been a problem among veterans for many years. It was formerly referred to as “combat stress”, “shell shock”, and others.  The disorder was not formally acknowledged as a psychiatric disorder until the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III) in 1980 (Frey, 3351). PTSD and other psychological impairments exist in many veterans regardless of the war in which they participated, however, the rate of these impairments suffered by veterans of the Vietnam War is twice that of other wars due to the unique nature of Vietnam (Wilcox and Starr, 275). In Vietnam, progress was measured by kill ratios and body counts (Wilcox and Starr, 275). In Vietnam men were taught to shoot and kill the enemy, then ask questions. Due to the fact that the war was largely based on killing and body counts rather than strategy, the Vietnam War was one of the most violent wars in United States history. This violence had a large impact on the lives of Vietnam veterans. According to a 1988 study, over the course of their lifetime, 31% of males and 27% of females who participated in the Vietnam War will have dealt with some form of PTSD (Wilcox and Starr, 274). These mental health issues have led to drug abuse, unemployment, and more. The traumatic events of the Vietnam War resulted in extremely negative effects on the mental health of the veterans, making it the most psychologically tolling wars of United States history.Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a common stress reaction veterans have to being present in shocking combat situations. Although it is a common reaction, there are specific criteria around the diagnosis of PTSD. Diagnosis begins with determining whether or not the individual has been exposed to a traumatic event where they themselves experienced, or witnessed, a bodily threat causing them to feel fear, horror, or helplessness (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”). After the event, the individual must experience difficulty in three main areas for at least one month in order to be diagnosed with PTSD: persistent re-experiencing of the event, avoiding reminders of the event, or experiencing symptoms of increased autonomic arousal such as an exaggerated startle response, irritability, or angry outbursts (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder”). After it has been confirmed that the individual has experienced the aforementioned difficulties, the person can then be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD can be caused by a number of things in addition to shocking events. Military sexual trauma, or MST, can cause PTSD as well. MST is any sexual harassment or assault that happens while an individual is in the military (“How Common Is PTSD?”). Military sexual trauma is a common occurrence, 55% of women and 38% of men have experienced this, causing them to develop PTSD later in life (“How Common Is PTSD?”). There are many symptoms of PTSD: panic and paranoia, chronic anxiety, flashbacks or nightmares of the disturbing events, survivor guilt, depression, and emotional numbness (Wilcox and Starr, 275).
Suffering as many mentally jarring symptoms as that of victims of PTSD can often lead a person to turn to drugs or alcohol for escape. According to a survey taken in 1971, 29% of United States Army personnel from Vietnam participated in the use of heroin or opium (Wilcox and Starr, 277). The Harris Poll from 1971 stated that 26% of Vietnam veterans used drugs after returning home (Wilcox and Starr, 278). Due to their intense amounts of drug use, in the first five years after returning home, 69% of Vietnam veterans suffered accidental poisonings, mostly drug overdoses (Wilcox and Starr, 278). In addition to the use of drugs after returning home, many Vietnam veterans found themselves using drugs while in combat. Mike Beamon of the United States Navy stated, “I had to be totally tuned up. We were doing Dexedrine. When we’d go out on a mission, we’d take a whole handful of pillsWhen I hit Dexedrine Id just turn into a pair of eyeballs and ears, Thats probably why I dont remember too many of the details real well, because it was just like I was on a speed trip the whole time I was in the field” (Denenberg, 161).The use of drugs allowed individuals to forget the horrible things they had to witness and participate in. On top of drug abuse, PTSD can cause veterans to inflict physical harm upon themselves, some as far as committing suicide. Statistics that have been gathered since World War I, show that American combat veterans are twice as likely to commit suicide than male adults in the general population (Frey, 3353). Suicide rates are even worse for Vietnam Veterans. According to a study, the suicide rate of Vietnam veterans is 72% higher than United States veterans who were assigned to other countries (Wilcox and Starr, 279). One study found that of those individuals alive during the era of the Vietnam War, the veterans of the war have a 65% higher suicide rate than individuals who did not participate in the war (Wilcox and Starr, 278) Veterans experienced such intense amounts of trauma causing them to develop disorders such as PTSD, drug abuse, and in the worst case scenario commit suicide. The Vietnam War has had a monumental effect on the mental health of the veterans and has taken an enormous toll on their lives.First-hand accounts from both veterans and the family members of veterans help to provide a further understanding of the effect of the Vietnam War. The time between combat and returning home was short for that of Vietnam veterans, making it more difficult to assimilate back into society and recover mentally from what they had just experienced. United States Navy serviceman John Kerry stated this struggle as; “You know, you begin to see a lot of instant insanity and brutality that I dont think anybody prepared you for, and then one day, all of the sudden, youre back
A year after Vietnam, an estimated 11.5 million American war veterans are being forced to “visit” Iraq, Afghanistan, Iraq Refugees, and Iraq War Veterans Camps across the U.S. and abroad in the hopes of finding help after being exposed to the horrors of the Iraq war. The United States Army, Marine Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, and Army of Texas continue to provide shelter/help programs to survivors and re-integrate veterans into the military and society. In this way, Vietnam Veterans are a means for returning to society, even in the face of these traumatic experiences. The war veterans continue to be at the very core of the problems and the problems of the Vietnam War. All of the recent efforts and the efforts of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense to prevent and support the continuing violence in Vietnam have been ignored by and failed to address the war and the Vietnam War crisis. Yet, this has never been the case in the United States, and despite being an area of intense public debate, the nation should be willing to give these men what they are seeking. Many veterans are beginning to seek answers as to who they are. Many of them have been in the military for 12 years and in some cases have gone thru a very long period of incarceration while still able to live with their families. They also have questions that cannot be answered here. Although the veterans, many of whom are now suffering greatly, have expressed no remorse or remorse for their time spent in this harsh, cruel war, they still refuse to leave the community and face all of the realities surrounding their experience: PTSD, addiction, and trauma. In addition to their experience of being forced to deal with what they had to face, many veterans feel that their military actions and experiences in Vietnam are in some way related in some way to the violence they witnessed. What is your feeling? Will there be any more of the same horrors that occurred to us in the past? Can you
continue to get better and be able to support the struggles of your family and friends? Thank you.
All of you, including a few who have spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan, will remember the time after the Gulf War, when many Iraq War veterans were in the midst of being forced to face the horrors of the Iraq War, and it was up to them to come together to stand together against it. Some of the things that may have happened will never be repeated or forgotten about, especially those who served in many of the wars we have engaged in over the past year or more. With help from the help of the Department of Veterans Affairs/VA/Department of Homeland Security, an organization called Coalition for Peace, Vietnam Veterans Association, the National Vietnam American Veterans Center, and others, we are making a huge impact across the nation and in all of our world. We all deserve to be able to support our loved ones, the people of Vietnam, and help heal. Our group will bring to the forefront every one of the many challenges facing this nation over the next 3 to 5 years. We will build upon our past experience and focus on the challenges facing other nations, and the solutions we are taking. The hope is that our vision of having a better world can prevail across all of history. You may be wondering, what does that mean for us? This is not an exhaustive list! This is just a few of what we believe to be the many options we have available while still in our infancy. Many of the different strategies we have been able to utilize at every level to make it better and the solutions I have outlined at this point all have the potential to help us all recover. All have worked out in the end and we still have some hurdles that need to be overcome. If you ever want to hear about other options, talk to us on our website if you would like to discuss them with me or any other members of our organization. I have a wonderful record of working with local and global leaders and developing an approach, process, and mindset that will allow for change and change well into the future. Our ideas and perspectives will shape American society into change. We have so many tools for people to make their own choices and to get as involved in our own communities as we should. We have a large base of support, such as individuals who are willing to come along and help us rebuild a better society and our countries. We need more of you. All of you who feel like you and your group need support to get involved in any kind of action, cause or opportunity to get involved in this battle. Your support is invaluable! We must do everything in our power to stop the madness that has taken place in our midst. We need your help. We cannot do this alone, and we certainly do not need another large scale war veteran organization. Please join us in making the right
As a member of the Coalition for Peace, Vietnam vets Association, we want to express our condolences to the families of those who sustained American war veterans on the battlefield during the Vietnam War. These people, many of whom have gone through tremendous and traumatic experiences during their time in the service, may have just lost their lives trying to prevent harm to allies or to the military. Even those in the military who have left the service and returned home are a result of those who fought. These are people who came back from service and are now seeking answers and the best way to bring people on their own. We are not fighting to win your rights, but to fight, so that we can help those who have lost loved ones in the war and who are affected by the war in more ways than one. To help those who have lost loved ones, we ask that you help bring the family back for a time of peace. We call on you all to put your support behind the effort to do just that, and to ask your government officials or the military to continue our support and continue your efforts to support the families of those killed in service. We are so grateful to one little girl, who was sent back safely, to the family she loves—and who gave her life in such a good way.
On January 28, 2011, President Obama announced U.S. forces would advance the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by 2019. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, President Hussein received a powerful endorsement from Obama, and Obama decided to withdraw some U.S. troops. It was not long before the war had ended and Washington had lost all capacity to train, equip, and defend any country outside the region. The United States needed the money, and not the arms as they had a long-standing rivalry with Baghdad, for the support of the Iraqi government. That meant a massive international military coalition that would require great military strength. During the 1990’s, the United States sought to create an independent force that would allow it
A strategic plan that included U.S. military and political support of all parties, including the opposition parties, U.S./Islamic State forces, and Kurds, supported the “peace process” in Baghdad and the Iraqi government. It sought to avoid any military confrontation and a peaceful end to the violence that followed, along with regional cooperation. It also sought to ensure that “peace between our peoples” would prevail. Its commitment to a peaceful future did not only protect U.S. citizens. It created new conditions, as American troops were withdrawn, not to begin with. It gave credence to the Islamic Republic’s own military strategy, which saw the victory of the Islamic State in northern Iraq and led to a fall in U.S. forces in June 2011. The current coalition was never able to defeat the Islamic State.
As is well known, the Obama administration did not support the removal of the U.S. military forces. As is well known, the Obama administration did not support the restoration of U.S. military assets in the Middle East, where the United States is headquartered and a significant number of American workers have moved there under U.S. contract. Nor were they aware of the fact that the American taxpayers had to pay for all this materiel, and they received virtually none of it from the United States in return for no support from the Gulf states. To the contrary, according to an agreement issued in June 2010 between the United States and Kuwait, with which the U.S. allies of the Gulf states would agree later in 2010, it had $24 billion for 2010 reconstruction over the course of which $2.9 billion was allocated for $2.4 billion.
If the United States were to abandon its commitment to Iraq, its main priority, U.S. forces would cease to exist. The United States does not want a political solution; it believes that any U.S. troop withdrawal should be stopped. The United States will have to provide assistance, especially by way of training and advising Iraqi security forces, along with technical assistance, to counter the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria and the Iraqi civil war, which has killed an estimated five million of its own citizens in the last year.
Iraq is a key battleground in the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. It is also strategically important for the United States to provide military assistance to the local opposition to bring change in Iraq. To date, the United States has been able to send nearly 300,000 Marines and U.S. troops overseas to Iraq to train and equip local forces under the command of U.S. military experts.
If the United States is to continue relying on Iraq, its main priority is to train local, pro-regime forces in Baghdad to defeat Islamic State. In March 2011, the government announced that a massive humanitarian aid program was established in the Iraqi city of Erbil. Under the program,
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