The torture sessions were not for the purpose of gaining information, which is the typical purpose, but to break the soldiers’ will to fight back. When this occurred, the Vietnamese would force them to make anti-American statements as a form of propaganda against the United States. No human being could endure this type of physical torture without his mental state being affected negatively by it. Soldiers watched as their friends were tortured and starved to death, with the knowledge that they were helpless to help and it could be them in their position very soon. Their days were filled with blind terror and pain, not knowing what was going on in the outside world, the state of their comrades or their families. They only knew that the only way
…show more content…
It required that all American males between the age of 21 to 35 to register for military service. When World War II began, the age was changed and now all males between 18 and 64 were required to register ("Selective Training").. Vietnam veterans were the first veterans to be officially diagnosed and recognized as having PTSD. When the Vietnam War began, the draft was started back up. The men that were called were often times from poor and working-class families with twenty-five percent of the conscripted men being poor, fifty-five percent being part of the working-class and a twenty percent of the soldiers being middle-class men (Valentine).While many men saw going off to war as an honor and a duty they were proud to do for their country, many more saw it as a death sentence. They would bring going to a strange land to die for a cause they didn’t even support. The fear of the draft grew so much that some young men volunteered rather than sit around and wait for the inevitable. At least volunteering gave them a small choice in which division they would be working in. Still, many others tried to flee by running to Canada or failing aptitude tests on purpose ("The Military"). Those who did live through the war came home as broken men. These men didn’t all volunteer for that war. They didn’t choose to put themselves through hell yet they had to come home with the consequences. 270,000 Vietnam veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD since the war ended. The veterans who came home with PTSD were twice as likely to die compared to the veterans that didn’t have PTSD. In 2013, 40 years after their forced entry into the war, these veterans still have PTSD and 37% of them met the criteria for major depression. Those with current warzone PTSD have a higher chance of reporting chronic conditions (Schlenger and Corry). Not all military volunteered their time and sacrifice but
It required that all American males between the age of 21 to 35 to register for military service. When World War II began, the age was changed and now all males between 18 and 64 were required to register ("Selective Training").. Vietnam veterans were the first veterans to be officially diagnosed and recognized as having PTSD. When the Vietnam War began, the draft was started back up. The men that were called were often times from poor and working-class families with twenty-five percent of the conscripted men being poor, fifty-five percent being part of the working-class and a twenty percent of the soldiers being middle-class men (Valentine).While many men saw going off to war as an honor and a duty they were proud to do for their country, many more saw it as a death sentence. They would bring going to a strange land to die for a cause they didn’t even support. The fear of the draft grew so much that some young men volunteered rather than sit around and wait for the inevitable. At least volunteering gave them a small choice in which division they would be working in. Still, many others tried to flee by running to Canada or failing aptitude tests on purpose ("The Military"). Those who did live through the war came home as broken men. These men didn’t all volunteer for that war. They didn’t choose to put themselves through hell yet they had to come home with the consequences. 270,000 Vietnam veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD since the war ended. The veterans who came home with PTSD were twice as likely to die compared to the veterans that didn’t have PTSD. In 2013, 40 years after their forced entry into the war, these veterans still have PTSD and 37% of them met the criteria for major depression. Those with current warzone PTSD have a higher chance of reporting chronic conditions (Schlenger and Corry). Not all military volunteered their time and sacrifice but