Veterans Day 2011: From McDonalds to Iraq 11/10/11

In 1984, a gunman went on a killing spree at a San Diego area McDonalds restaurant.

Patrons of the restaurant tried to hide under tables. Employees hid behind the counter and in the kitchen.

No place was safe.

Eventually, the restaurant was surrounded by police, and police sharpshooters killed the shooter.

Twenty-one innocents died. Nineteen were wounded.

Horrified survivors were traumatized. Psychiatrists and psychologists were called to help with their recovery. A concern was that they would forever suffer from the horrific experience whether they were actually wounded or not.

This was one of the earliest and most public recognitions of a condition known as post traumatic stress syndrome.

Although known in the 1970s, years passed for the same condition to be widely treated for veterans of Vietnam.

In World War I emotionally damaged veterans were said to be suffering from shell shock. In World War II, it was combat fatigue. Treatment for veterans of these wars was available in only the most severe cases.

The same was true of Vietnam veterans. Often, these veterans came out of the field, were given a shower and a clean uniform, flown back to the states and then cut loose, sometimes being greeted with hostility.

Once home, some vets were unable to adjust. They left their homes and familiar environs to hide out in forests and mountains. Some became homeless. Some remain homeless today.

It took a long time to get recognition and help for these veterans. After a year in combat, they received less help than the surviving patrons at that San Diego McDonalds.

This is changing. About one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are recognized to have problems with post traumatic stress. A new program, “Proper Exit,” allows wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan to leave with dignity. Other programs allow vets time to adjust before making their way in the world. Service dogs, psychological assistance and education for loved-ones caring for vets are just some of the programs now available. The Veterans Administration offers treatment.

Even so, troubled veterans of our current conflicts are often in the news. No matter how much attention is given the transition from combat to civilian life, many vets are traumatized and internally scarred from their service to the country.

It is something to keep in mind this Veterans Day, especially after the martial music fades and the speeches are forgotten. Some miraculous advancements have been made for the physically injured vet, the same is needed for those seriously wounded who show no physical scars.

Gordon Forgey