Veterans? What's the hardest thing to express to people about combat and being in the military? ?

Question

Do you often feel misunderstood? Or is it really not that big of a deal to experience intense suffering and then come home to american culture where many people are oblivious to what goes on over there?

Answer 1

The only thing that I have a hard time expressing to people is my hatred for the question...."how many people did you kill?"  

People tend to view my response, or lack thereof, as hostile, arrogant or mean, but I am one of those who really don't like to talk about my trips to Iraq.  If i want to talk about it, i will tell them, but only if i offer it up first.

Answer 2

I only feel misunderstood by very liberal people who don't understand human nature. For instance many people want us out of Iraq today...they are clueless, do they think the bad guys will stop doing bad things the moment we leave, do they think that the world will love us the moment we pull out.

People who understand the violent nature of the world understand me. I can never seem to make certain people understand anything about the military and combat experience....they have closed minds, they refuse to believe human beings can be so cruel...they refuse to believe that people like me are a necessary 'evil'....

Answer 3

The hardest thing for me to convey is the mentality that you must have.  Everyday I wake up and think "is this my day or is this thiers".  Maybe nothing ever happens but everyday you have to prepare yourself mentally for the worst.  The things you see can often not be explained in words and often times you would rather not even try.

Answer 4

To me, there were two really difficult things to explain. The first was the psychological changes that I underwent when in combat. The second was the difficulty of adapting to civilian life.  

Answer 5

my sister has done 2 wars in Iraq. I think one of the many hard things for her to get across to people is that she really does not make money if any. She had to buy all her own things, flights to come home... you really don't make any money doing this.

Answer 6

Is that you always have to prove your worth and that you have served because people always look at you as a second class citizen if the color of your skin is not white or black.. They look at you like a 2nd class American...

Answer 7

I have a new found appreciatio for the Americans who sacrificed soo much in the past and currently. I am much less sensative for people who think they have it soo tough after seeing soo much in the world, or hearing the stories from other young Marines on how they grew up. I know see america as becoming extremely lazy, and just worried about "ME" as in theirselves. Military community are as much as we talk about ad diss one another bash the branches talk about the females  whatever are a band of brothers and sisters. We like a shrinking amount of Americans know how to count of someone else and know that someone else is thinking about us and willing to help in almost any situation. In the civilianworld now so few people are like that. The ones that are that I have notice have all served in some part of the military. I also hate the punks that think they are soo bad @$$ and that they wish they could go toIraq and kick butt. Yeah butt what if your butt gets kicked first? War doesnt happen like it does in the movies. The good guys dont when ever "fight" or encounter. Bullets go both ways and so do the injuries. The American people in my OPINION are too used to everything being fast. We dont want to fight for oil but we all go out and buy GIANT SUV's, then when we go to war we want itover in a week!!!!! Here is a question can american people still commit to anything? Could we have won WW II with this mentality? I am not saying I am right at all just how I see things. Please share if you have an opinion on what I said. Sorry if it sounds unpatriotic

Answer 8

Most of us do not experience intense suffering until we come home and realize we have changed to the point there is no home to come home to. The world we left has different priorities and problems that are almost catastrophic here are really small change. WE HAVE CHANGED! We have grown to meet real challenges {who lives, who dies, who is going to go home in a basket} vs is little Johnny going to be five minutes late for soccer practice. When you tell your wife you no longer care what she serves for dinner so long as it is hot, savory and does not have cat sup on it. For some reason this nearly killed her, darn it is small change and she was still making a fuss 3 years later.

For 4 years my job every day was to see my shipmates did not die from someone else's stupidity. What clothes I will wear to the PTA meeting just is not in the same league.

Other than that shock it was no big deal.

Answer 9

My hardest thing is telling the left how brainwashed they are and how much good we are doing over there. Media seems to be Americas new gospel and the facts from those who fought seem to mean nothing over some left wing biased agenda democrat that wants to defeat Bush. If this were Clinton in office the whole media world would be asking Bill for 5 minuets in the oval office with him. I am very loud about facts and hate agenda but what can you do? I mean the children's teachers teach them how wrong it is for daddy to be over there yet they don't see the things we have done that they thank us for. Sometimes I hate the freedoms in my country because it does nothing more than separate us, not unite. When was the last time we were known as the United States? 9/11? Yet now we are more divided than ever. Sorry folks, Barrack is a bag of lies and pipe dreams, try asking Tony Robbins to run for prez if you want a motivational speaker.

Answer 10

It is breaking my heart, my fiance has PTSD after coming back from Iraq.  I'm at a loss and I do not know the half of what he has seen and done over there.

Answer 11

40 years ago we simply came home and tried to quietly fit in with the rest of our communities at home.

Answer 12

That there is absolutely no similarities between war and the movies or video games that try to simulate war. Review some the questions on this forum and it is evident to all.

I felt ill at ease for the first three years after my Navy retirement. But, thanks to the words written in a work of fiction called "The Ship", I made my own peace: "There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have been to sea and those who have not". The oblivious have their world. I have mine.  

Answer 13

My hardest thing to express is that I did it willingly and I do not need a limp wristed Liberal "standing up" for me...and I defiantly do not need a Freshman Senator saying he cares about me, when I know he does not...I am from the South, so many people in my area have served and are very Patriotic...so I have been treated very well...