Tyler Petrie
November 9, 2015
T/TH D McKinnon
English 11
War Kills More Than the Body When thinking of war, what comes to mind? It might be the camouflage uniforms or maybe ditches full of men taking cover. It might be the various guns they use in combat or maybe the jets and planes cutting through the blue sky. It might be the Navy marines diving into the war or maybe the mud covered combat boots stomping across ground. It might be the tanks rolling across the battlefield or maybe it’s fresh bloodstains that circle a close friend. It doesn’t matter what war, people died and some survived, but even if they were able to survive combat, the real obstacle will be surviving the mental toll of war. In the book, The Things They Carried, …show more content…
The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as “a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event, whether experienced or witnessed”. These soldiers often experience various flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety from the events of war. They often encounter withdraw from reality which can potentially be dangerous for both themselves and for those around them. Revisiting the horror of war and the painful memories makes coping and overcoming the events even more difficult for these men. Many men are even unable to sleep in fear of reliving the most horrific moments of their lives and are forced to take medication in order to sleep.It is frightening to think that the most heroic people of our nation, who are willing to sacrafice their lives to defend this great nation and its people, are unable to sleep at night due to …show more content…
After the death of Curt Lemon, comrade Rat Kylie found it hard to live without his close friend. Rat began to keep Curt alive through keeping the memory of him alive in his imagination. Rat flashbacked to an old memory of the two trick or treating. His story helped him accept and reflect the life of his dear friend and would help many others find a way to move on from a death of one of their comrades as well. This story was moving to many of the men including O’Brien who says, “To listen to the story, especially as Rat told it, you’d never know that Curt Lemon was dead. He was still out there in the dark, naked and painted up, trick or treating, sliding from hooth to hooth in that white crazy mask” (O’Brien 227). This showed the men that even though their close comrades had died, they could still live in their mind and imagination. Soldiers were able to cope more with their deaths and how their sacrifice allowed America to remain free and just. Some found relief in this, but other soldiers were still finding it hard to cope with pain. Some men could no longer deal with the pain and suffering that came with experiences they faced during the war. A man named Norman Bowker wanted to tell people of his experiences and life during the war but is unable to. He wishes to tell his father of how he almost earned a silver star, but his father found no interest in his son or the events that
November 9, 2015
T/TH D McKinnon
English 11
War Kills More Than the Body When thinking of war, what comes to mind? It might be the camouflage uniforms or maybe ditches full of men taking cover. It might be the various guns they use in combat or maybe the jets and planes cutting through the blue sky. It might be the Navy marines diving into the war or maybe the mud covered combat boots stomping across ground. It might be the tanks rolling across the battlefield or maybe it’s fresh bloodstains that circle a close friend. It doesn’t matter what war, people died and some survived, but even if they were able to survive combat, the real obstacle will be surviving the mental toll of war. In the book, The Things They Carried, …show more content…
The Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as “a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event, whether experienced or witnessed”. These soldiers often experience various flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety from the events of war. They often encounter withdraw from reality which can potentially be dangerous for both themselves and for those around them. Revisiting the horror of war and the painful memories makes coping and overcoming the events even more difficult for these men. Many men are even unable to sleep in fear of reliving the most horrific moments of their lives and are forced to take medication in order to sleep.It is frightening to think that the most heroic people of our nation, who are willing to sacrafice their lives to defend this great nation and its people, are unable to sleep at night due to …show more content…
After the death of Curt Lemon, comrade Rat Kylie found it hard to live without his close friend. Rat began to keep Curt alive through keeping the memory of him alive in his imagination. Rat flashbacked to an old memory of the two trick or treating. His story helped him accept and reflect the life of his dear friend and would help many others find a way to move on from a death of one of their comrades as well. This story was moving to many of the men including O’Brien who says, “To listen to the story, especially as Rat told it, you’d never know that Curt Lemon was dead. He was still out there in the dark, naked and painted up, trick or treating, sliding from hooth to hooth in that white crazy mask” (O’Brien 227). This showed the men that even though their close comrades had died, they could still live in their mind and imagination. Soldiers were able to cope more with their deaths and how their sacrifice allowed America to remain free and just. Some found relief in this, but other soldiers were still finding it hard to cope with pain. Some men could no longer deal with the pain and suffering that came with experiences they faced during the war. A man named Norman Bowker wanted to tell people of his experiences and life during the war but is unable to. He wishes to tell his father of how he almost earned a silver star, but his father found no interest in his son or the events that