Trauma of War

The news footage of the mournful at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was a moving and thought-provoking experience. But my tears are not for anyone whose name is on that wall. I am mourning the death of my brother Joe.

Joe did not die in Vietnam, nor did he die as the result of a physical wound received in Vietnam. But Joe did die as a result of his participation in the Vietnam War.

My brother wore the stripes of a sergeant of evacuation. His duties included pulling the wounded and the dead from the villages and jungles where war raged. Joe was a hero, but I don’t think he considered himself as such.

When Joe died in a bar five years ago he was a broken and dispirited man. He had not seen a doctor since his discharge in 1969; he died of a heart attack, presumably as a result of drinking, smoking and a disregard for his own person.

Let us not forget those who have died from the trauma of the war even if they are not eligible to have their name on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

GERALD GARCIA

Hollywood