American Suicides With Military

[Resica]

We know we have a lot of suicides from Afghanistan and Iraq from ex military folks. I never hear of that from WW2, Korea or Vietnam. It had to exist, didn't it? They just didn't publicize it? 20 million Americans in the military in WW2. There must have been many that ended their life at that their own hand, don't you think?

 

[tr21]

I believe it just wasn't talked about much, but did still happen as much as it does now. plus there was no internet back then and your only real news of such things probably didn't reach but a town or 2 away....

 

[Batjack]

We know we have a lot of suicides from Afghanistan and Iraq from ex military folks. I never hear of that from WW2, Korea or Vietnam. It had to exist, didn't it? They just didn't publicize it? 20 million Americans in the military in WW2. There must have been many that ended their life at that their own hand, don't you think?

Biggest difference is that back in the 40's it took a few weeks decompressing with folks just like you on a slow boat to get home, now a days your duck'n bullits and look'n at buddies get'n blowed up one day and home "try'n" to adjust to civilian life the next.

 

[Ruger#3]

The country as whole was at war, very different time. Much more support when you returned home. Here’s an extract that gives some perspective.

After the war, Americans returning from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific were eager to get on with their lives. One benefit for returning servicemen was an unemployment payment of $20.00 a week for a year with no stipulations on how the money was spent; returning servicemen called it the “52/20 club.” Many used the time the program afforded them to relax and process traumatic experiences from the war.

Some veterans quickly grew bored of civilian life as it paled in comparison to the overstimulation that only combat provides. As a result many came home as adrenaline junkies. Numerous auto racing and motorcycle clubs were formed by groups of returning veterans in the immediate post-war years.

For many veterans, the symptoms of combat fatigue or combat stress faded once they returned home. For others, the symptoms were long lasting and function impairing. Combat stress can morph into Post Traumatic Stress, which begins to appear in the affected individual after the traumatic experiences have passed.

 

[Resica]

Biggest difference is that back in the 40's it took a few weeks decompressing with folks just like you on a slow boat to get home, now a days your duck'n bullits and look'n at buddies get'n blowed up one day and home "try'n" to adjust to civilian life the next.

You think there were few suicides from guys on Guadalcanal, Iwo, the Bulge, etc.?

 

[Batjack]

You think there were few suicides from guys on Guadalcanal, Iwo, the Bulge, etc.?

No, just fewer than there are now.

 

[Resica]

There were certainly far more folks that saw and participated in acts of war in WW2 than recently. It still had to be horrific.

 

[basstrkr]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An illustration created by the U.S. Air Force to represent the number of veteran suicides per day.
United States military veteran suicide[1][2] is an ongoing phenomenon regarding the high rate of suicide among U.S. military veterans in comparison to the general civilian public.[3] A focus on preventing veteran suicide began in 1958 with the opening of the first suicide prevention center in the United States. During the mid-1990s, a paradigm shift in addressing veteran suicide occurred with the development of a national strategy which included several Congressional Resolutions. More advancements were made in 2007, when the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act created a comprehensive program including outreach at each Veterans Affairs Office (VA) and the implementation of a 24-hour crisis hotline (the Veterans Crisis Line). PTSD, depression, and combat-related guilt in veterans are often related to suicide as it can be difficult for veterans to transition to civilian life.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

We know we have a lot of suicides from Afghanistan and Iraq from ex military folks. I never hear of that from WW2, Korea or Vietnam. It had to exist, didn't it? They just didn't publicize it? 20 million Americans in the military in WW2. There must have been many that ended their life at that their own hand, don't you think?

Yes, it happened a lot more than most people think. But I don't think it was as high a "rate" of suicide as Sandbox vets are experiencing. Vietnam probably comes closest. I knew several guys who came back from Vietnam too wrecked to function normally, they killed themselves in a lot of different ways over a number of years.

Still, I think one of the big differences for the WWII and Korea vets was the very active Christian faith prevalent in this country after WWII all the way into the late 1960s. Veterans came home to a community of faith that included family, friends, neighbors and other veterans of WWI and WWII, all who were there for them not just at the coffee shop, but in worship and in their lives.

That valuable resource seemed to fade as the socialist world questioned God and us Boomers didn't have the devotion to answer.

 

[Ruger#3]

There were certainly far more folks that saw and participated in acts of war in WW2 than recently. It still had to be horrific.

Sure it was, you were welcomed home heroes and provided support to decompress. Community, churches surrounded and supported them. I’m sure some didn’t cope. You come home now, get dumped at an airport where you watch the national news that the war you’re fighting is unpopular.

 

[Resica]

How about all the Americans in our War between one another? Those guys saw alot of death on both sides. Any thing noted about suicides during the Civil War?

 

[Resica]

No, just fewer than there are now.

I hope you are right. Hate to see anyone feel so bad they take their own life!

 

[GeorgiaBob]

How about all the Americans in our War between one another? Those guys saw alot of death on both sides. Any thing noted about suicides during the Civil War?

Suicide and the Civil War

Historian Kathleen Logothetis Thompson explores mental stress, psychological trauma, and suicide among Civil War soldiers.

www.civilwarmed.org

There's a lot more. Just look it up.

 

[Resica]

Suicide and the Civil War

Historian Kathleen Logothetis Thompson explores mental stress, psychological trauma, and suicide among Civil War soldiers.

www.civilwarmed.org

There's a lot more. Just look it up.

I know. Horrific in any war.

 

[Ruger#3]

You think there were few suicides from guys on Guadalcanal, Iwo, the Bulge, etc.?

My wife’s grandfather was a Marine in the Pacific. Went through multiple amphibious landings. He made his way home to WI went back to farming and raised 4 kids. My own grandfather was a UDT Navy veteran of multiple landings. He came home went to driving a truck and lived an upper middle class life. Their return home was very different.

 

[livinoutdoors]

The easier life is the harder difficult things become on the mind. When daily life was hard and death a common thing, fighting a war was not such a crazy task to come to terms with. For the mind that is.

 

[Dutch]

PTSD is a heck a thing to deal with...most days you ride the dragon, other days it rides you.

I am not ashamed to admit, there were a few times I almost pulled the trigger...Thank God I had my Dad and Uncles (all Nam Vets) to help me deal with it.

 

[Ruger#3]

I’ve never got close to that point. However, I’ve had my share of times wrestling demons.

 

[Core Lokt]

All I can say is thank you to those that served or serving and if you ever feel like ending it PLEASE seek help.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Not related to actual combat but more to long deployments in general than a that military spouses these days are a more restless lot than in the WWII days. I’m sure being drafted vs volunteering has a little to do with it.

So when a combat vet has gone through hades and then has nothing to come back home to…..