lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
For too often our military soldiers suffer in silence due to years of ongoing personal
trauma they encountered over the years of service. My father and uncles who served in
the Korean and Vietnam Wars never did talk about their years in the military and
especially their times fighting in those wars due to traumatic experiences they had.
When we laid my eldest uncle (94y/o) to rest last year just before Covid-19 hit, I mention
to the elder ladies of the family if they knew any information on what took place and why
they never mention anything about that period of time. I was told my dad and his
brothers never wanted to talk about it and they were told not to ask again. And my
mother and aunts being the ladies they are, I knew they never did ask again.
Coming to know this revelation in my own family has led to a deeper
understanding of the loss of faith by many individuals in the military and the many levels
of guilt which they have experienced. One former client who always found himself in
legal troubles referred to his feelings in the military using a bible verse. He would refer
to this bible verse weakly, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do
to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matt. 7:12 KJV).
When I ask him to explain his position, he would say whatever happens to him he
deserves it. He too was another former soldier who really did not want to talk about his
pain. However, he did express his thoughts about the death of friends in and out of war
time due to suicide:
Research has shown combat exposure to be associated with negative
mental health outcomes. Different combat exposure measures are not
composed of the same combat experiences, and few combat exposure measures
have been directly compared to another measure. Furthermore,
research about the unique associations between specific combat experiences and
mental health is lacking. (Porter et al., 2018)
I believe the loss of faith has played a huge roll in the untimely deaths of current and
former soldiers from suicide due to depression and loneliness. Additionally, keeping up
this false narrative of being seen a strong when in reality they’re the total opposite has
cause many to engage with alcohol and drugs. To me, the military has a huge issue with
soldiers having survivor's guilt and it has gone undressed and unnoticed in many cases.
For the soldiers to be able to focus on regaining his/her faith as well as changing their
mindset from thinking they deserve to be punished will take time, prayer, and counsel.
Daniel,
My uncle also served in the Vietnam War. I can recall never hearing him talk about it. I think I
was in the 8th grade when I had the chance to visit Washington D.C.. I knew we were going to
visit the usual tourist destinations so I asked him for any names that may be engraved onto the
memorial wall. I think he gave me about 4 or 5 names and quickly followed up his list with “you
probably won’t find them.”
I can still remember his voice saying, “WOW! You found them.” To see his face with watering
eyes, when I handed him the 3 etchings of his fallen comrades, meant so much to me. It wasn’t
lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
until years later I found out that he happened to be in the medical tent because he was sick.
Those men were in his platoon and perished when their helicopter exploded. The survivor’s guilt
that my uncle must have been carrying around for 30 years (at the time), is incomprehensible. I
like to think I was able to help bring him some type of closure.
“Grief in veterans may well have the same status that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) did in
the aftermath of the Vietnam War: largely overlooked” (Lubens & Silver, 2019). So how do
veterans, like my uncle, cope? Veterans (and active duty) who turn to their own religion and
spirituality is one of the most used strategies for coping. Studies have shown that greater religion
and spirituality is linked to lower rates and severity of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and
suicidality. Why? Because turning to religion can help to promote a protective psychosocial
characteristic (Sharma et al., 2017). Religion and spirituality can help (anyone) develop feelings
of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and enhanced/perceived social support.
How can we help? Grief research conducted among the military is limited, however, research
from the civilian community can serve as a template. Research by Lubens & Silver (2019) has
shown that the “level of acceptance of a comrade’s death depends on the mode of death, with
combat deaths being easier to accept than suicide deaths.” As healthcare professionals, in all
fields, it is our responsibility to provide the necessary tools to address and lessen the toll of war
on our clients. If we do not, then this becomes a public health and safety problem. This can be
seen in every city, every day with the crisis of homelessness in our nation. Lubens & Silver
(2019) indicate that this epidemic has been “brought on largely by PTSD, other mental illnesses,
and the substance abuse that for many veterans began in the jungles of Vietnam.”
References
Lubens, P., & Silver, R. (2019). Grief in Veterans: An Unexplored Consequence of
War. American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 394-395.
https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2018.304924
Sharma, V., Marin, D., Koenig, H., Feder, A., Iacoviello, B., Southwick, S., & Pietrzak, R.
(2017). Religion, spirituality, and mental health of U.S. military veterans: Results from the
National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. Journal of Affective Disorders, 217, 197-204.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.03.071
When service members experience traumatic events and great discouragement, it can
greatly challenge their theological beliefs and the goodness of God. “Joe Stowell stated,
“The trouble with trouble is that it threatens not just our comfort and peace but our faith
lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
in God.” (Dees, 2011) It is normal and many do question the tribulation
that accompanies trauma, and avoiding or not answering these hard questions can lead
to great difficulties in the future.
When it comes to suffering, it is important to understand the “reality and nature of evil
and suffering in our world,” and more importantly that the character of God is greater
than these sufferings. (Dees, 2011) When bad things happen, it is due to the evil in this
world. Jesus never said there would not be evil in this world or that we would not
suffer. Instead, he encourages us that he has overcome this suffering and walks with us
in it. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here
on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have
overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NLT) He showed this with his friend Lazarus. His
friend Lazarus was sick and then died from his illness. (John 11:1-5) Jesus was
constantly healing people, but he waited two days after hearing the news before
he went to him. When Jesus arrived, he was met by Lazarus’s sisters Mary and Martha,
and all the family who were mourning for the loss. The Bible says “Jesus wept.” (John
11:35 NLT) Jesus felt their pain and suffered with them, but because He is God, He
raised Lazarus from the dead and strengthened the faith of everyone who witnessed
this miracle. He had victory over the suffering and turn something terrible into faith and
belief that gave others spiritual life through Christ.
The issue of evil is never easy to understand. “Evil is a reality in our world, it also comes
packaged in our own sinfulness.” (Dees, 2011) There are evil leaders, evil empires who
wage wars and cause tribulation that one must face as soldiers fighting to protect
freedoms. But it also another to understand that humans have an evil nature and each
person has their own evil nature to themselves and this can cause great pain and
consequences. (Erikson, 2013) It is important again to focus on the character of
God and his love for us, and that as God he is fully aware of the evil that goes on but
came to have a personal relationship with us in order to be with us in our suffering and
not leave us to our own demise. “God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world,
but to save the world through him.” (John 3:17 NLT) Because He is God and good,
he triumphs over evil and uses everything good and bad for the good. “And we know
that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and
are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28 NLT)
I think the reason why many people (in general) turn to their religious beliefs in times of struggle
is because religion is the one constant in their lives. While they may question their own
spirituality and what it means, as a response to the tribulation, religion is not going to change and
will always be there. It is important it is for us to understand God’s true intentions and that his
love will triumph over the grim realities and the evil of the world (Dees, 2011, p. 42). I also think
that’s what the theme of the book “When bad things happen to good people” is about. How are
we going to take a bad thing and see the good?
Rabbi Kushner stresses that “God has created a world whose main principle was orderliness and
predictability; but also suggests, the process of Creation, of making order out of chaos, has not
ended” (Cohen, 1996). These actions/moments of evil are clear proof that chaos remains in the
lOMoARcPSD|271398 04
world. What if God finished his work, but left a few things for us to figure out and work on? I
believe the he wants us to be sustainable, this is why he gave us free will. He gave us the ability
to make and carry out our own decisions and accept the results. God knows that we are not
perfect (Adam & Eve), and that is ok, it is our responsibility to ask for help.
References
Cohen, A. (1996). THEOLOGY AND THEODICY: ON READING HAROLD
KUSHNER. Modern Judaism, 16(3), 229-261. https://doi.org/10.1093/mj/16.3.229
Dees, R. (2011). Resilient warriors. Creative Team Pub
