Combat Veteran in your family?

[ocdart]

FABO's own Leanna posted the following on Facebook. After reading it I felt the message was too important not to share. Since it was copied from another source, I 'borrowed' it to post here...

Solid advice. If you have a Combat Veteran in your family and you don’t like their moods and behavior around the holidays; please consider these six things:

1.) Your combat veteran has served in countries where people are blessed to receive a tattered pair of shoes or have clean water to drink; he/she no longer lives the “first world illusion” and no longer cares that if you buy one play station you can get a second one for fifty percent off. In fact, they find it hard to appreciate any of the gluttonous commercialism and overindulgence that permeates American holidays. Standing watch, boring as it was, had so much more purpose than going to the mall.

2.) Your Combat Veteran is thankful for the most basic things; not thankful for mega-sales and million dollar parades. They are thankful to be alive; thankful to have survived both the wars far away and the wars they struggle with inside.

3.) Your Combat Veteran is thankful that it wasn't them that got killed, but their celebrations are forever complicated by guilt and loss over those that were. Some of the most thankful times in their life were some of the scariest. Their feelings of thanks and celebration often conjure memories that are equally painful.

4.) Your Combat Veteran is not like you anymore. At some point, for some period of time, their entire life boiled down to just three simple things: when will I eat today, when will I sleep today, and who will I have to kill or will try to kill me today? They are not like you anymore.

5.) Your Combat Veteran does not need a guilt-trip or a lecture; they already feel detached in their grief while others so easily embrace the joy of the season. They need understanding and space; empathy not sympathy.

6.) Your Combat Veteran does love his/her family and is thankful for the many blessings in their life … and they are thankful for you.

To all brothers and sisters of the uniform who all struggle with one thing or another as we go into this holiday season, reach out to those you love. You didn't fight alone on the battlefield and you don't have to fight alone at home.

Copied from an honored U.S. Veteran's page ...

 

[dart4forte]

Well said

 

[go-fish]

I can tell a combat vet wrote this. Spot on.

 

[MOPAROFFICIAL]

This is aimed at today's generation...so when I read it... I think to myself whoever this is for...needs their *** kicked up between between their ears.

I didnt know people like that existed.
Consideration also takes consideration..OF OTHERS BESiDES YOURSELF.
Have combat vet friends and my grandfather is in 3 war books, purple heart, silver star etc... he drug his wounded and dead brothers off the battlefield and was blown up by grenades..and still had shrapnel in his back/spine when he passed away. He also worked for Chrysler kokomo.

 

[67dartgtgo]

Words so well spoken.
My uncle was an army grunt in the South Pacific in ww2. The battle for Guadel canal among others. We have a pic of him in the jungle in a fox hole with a mate. Filthy and smiling. I was just a little boy in the mid 60’s and loved him to pieces. He and my dad, also a ww2 vet army air Corp, were inseparable. They worked together at the same company side by side and helped build each other’s homes and families together. I loved climbing on the cot next to him when he was napping and having him just hug me and pull me up to nap with him. One day I was maybe 5 or 6 and he was having a terrible nightmare in the middle of the day. My mom grabbed me and told never to go near him when he was dreaming. PTSD is a real thing and wasn’t treated in those days. These men and woman deserve soo much respect and are so very shortchanged by a country that has very little idea of the sacrifice they make. They’ll always have my respect and honor.

 

[Steve welder]

Ive been surrounded by guys who saw the horror's of war including my father. My uncle was a POW, held in Germany during WW2. As kids we were strictly told to never ask him about it and he never ever mentioned what he went through to anyone
This guy was the happiest person, a real jokester and the life of the party, we loved him. His daughter told me she never heard him complain or talk bad, he was just a good soul. The only time he changed and was sad was when his wife passed . When he died at his wake another POW told everyone what this man went through when he was held in captivity, how he escaped, how he and fellow POW's nearly starved and froze to death for some weeks before being found by advancing American troops
I was in the NYS Army NG from late 72 until 78, my unit had a large number of VN vets join the guard after they were discharged from the service.
Many were combat vets and I never served with a better bunch of guys than these men
Now years later its mostly a few neighbors, three in particular, all in fact have Purple Hearts, all great men and thank God for their service to our country