I noticed that a lot of media and publications talk about Vietnam War veterans suffering from PTSD and other psychological/mental health issues.
What was so devastating in this specific war comparing to other wars (i.e. WW1 and WW2) that caused so many vets’ trauma?
Or is it a matter of fact that during previous wars mental health care was less developed?
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Vietnam was the first American war where the concept of PTSD was looked at closely. Researchers who look back at the medical histories have found it reported under other names, like “combat fatigue” in World War II and “shellshock” in World War I. In hindsight, it was a thing in past wars but it wasn’t talked about in the same way.
One line of speculation I’ve read, which I found interesting but I’m not sure if it was ever proven, has to do with the transportation between home and the wars. In Vietnam you could be on a plane and back home within a few days, whereas a soldier in previous wars had to take a ship home. They would have months around other soldiers with similar experiences to help process the trauma of what they’d experienced, whereas a Vietnam veteran would have no such benefit. Again, I’m not sure that this was ever proven to have any correlation but it is an interesting possibility.
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