Flashback

Elderly Canadian veterans of World War II in a Veterans home have vivid flashbacks of the war. Sounds during an MRI trigger long ago memories of battle. To some of the residents with dementia, WWII is their reality.

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/article/721827--64-years-later-our-wwii-veterans-still-remember?bn=1

Interview with elderly WWII vet

World War II vet talks about post-traumatic stress disorder

World War II vet commits suicide at VA clinic

A South Carolina World War II veteran took his own life outside a VA clinic. He had attempted to get a PTSD classification (prior to 1980 it was called anxiety neurosis) a number ot times and it was always denied. Just demonstates the long lasting memory of war.

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation/20091129_ap_scwwiivetsbattleendsingunshotatvaclinic.html

Another World War II vet writes a book about his PTSD

Glenn, 85, has a long ponytail, easy smile and bright eyes that belie the sometimes somber nature of "The Hawk And The Dove," a chronicle of his wartime experience on Okinawa and in Korea following the end of hostilities with Japan. His book was recently published by Kittery-based Smith/Kerr Associates. He said he has battled post-traumatic stress disorder since before the now widely recognized issue had a name, and what began as a book about his experience in World War II grew into a tale of his long struggle with demons ranging from nightmares of killing and death to alcoholism.


Another story being told in old age about a World War II veterans struggle with the problem of war trauma which wasn't diagnosed and treated after WWII. Those who sought help, like my father, often got a diagnosis of anxiety neurosis and inability to digest war experiences.

http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20091110-NEWS-911100387

Return To Duty - MTV

This shows a young vet who was on The Real World returning to Iraq for a second tour of duty.

Veteran Aid

An interesting and useful website was sent to me by a daughter of a WWII veteran which will help with VA benefits for care - another child of a WWII veteran making a difference:

I wanted to share the following with the hope it will make a difference for someone you love.

I am also the daughter of a WWII veteran whose death lead me to discover a hidden VA Pension Benefit known as Improved Pension, which is a 3-tier Pension that includes, Basic, Housebound and Aid and Attendance.

This is a Pension and not disability compensation. It can represent up to $23,000 annually to help pay for care. I filed on behalf of my mom as his widow, and got the Pension awarded to her.

Four years ago at my mother's passing, I launched www.veteranaid.org dedicated to my parents and my journey as their daughter.

My hope is make a difference for someone else who now walks in my shoes as they face being the caregiver of older parents and in need of financial assistance to pay for that care.

PTSD and a Medal of Honor Winner

A new documentary about the effort to name an airfield in Idaho about a Medal of Honor winner, Pappy Boyington, a Marine pilot who led the Black Sheep Squadron in WWII and who was also a prisoner of war.

Quoted for educational purposes from USC News:

Boyington, an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, became famous for his heroism as a pilot during World War II, commanding the famous VMF-214, also known as the “Black Sheep Squadron.” He was captured and became a prisoner of war for nearly the last two years of the war. Upon his return, he was awarded the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross.Boyington later wrote Baa Baa Black Sheep, an best-selling autobiography and inspiration for the ’70s TV series of the same name. But the hero’s personal postwar life was plagued with problems, including alcoholism, which contributed to multiple divorces and bad debts. It was judgment of his personal life that initially prevented county officials from renaming the Idaho airfield.
“I do have a section of the film called ‘Pappy’s Reputation,’ which explores what the implications of his reputation were on the campaign locally,” he said. “As a filmmaker, you hope to be a part of dialogue about a subject. In screening the film about a WWII hero on military bases, some Marines bring up the point that as a society, we didn’t come to understand PTSD and its effects until after Vietnam.”

Click on title for entire article