What Are the Wounds of War?

[Marine1]

What is your opinion on this subject? Vet's especially!

"Military Debates Purple Heart Awards For Mental Stress"

WASHINGTON -- Centuries before Iraq and Afghanistan, George Washington created the Purple Heart to honor troops wounded in combat.

But with an increasing number of troops being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, the modern military is debating an idea Gen. Washington never considered -- awarding one of the nation's top military citations to veterans with psychological wounds, not just physical ones.

What Are the Wounds of War? - WSJ.com

[SwedeSteve]

Boy, that's a tough one! On the one side I don't think it is in keeping with the original intent! But on the other, we have soldiers returning home that are no longer "whole" and served with honor.

[Seabeescotty]

How about a new medal? Coulda got one of those others, but in the wrong way, so, no way! That medal is for troops wounded in combat, period. Leave it alone, period. If they want to recognize the mental wounds, then strike a new medal!

[jerry]

[jd1911]

^^^that is hillarious well i know people who claim they have ptsd and they dont and i know people who have it and think they dont some say i have it in my unit but i dont know if they did give the purple heart only in the extreme cases should they recieve it just my opinion we actuallt discussed it the other day at work

[privateer]

I think that everybody that has been in combat is never the same again and that is covered with the combat action ribbon, I also think that the purple heart is a time honored award for physical wounds and not to be opened up to new levels of service related ailments. if combat related stress warrants an award than I agree with Seabeescotty, strike a new madal.

[jimkim]

We had a local Reserve General he spent his entire career in the reserves. I once asked the arrogant sob just how much A$$ do you have to kiss to make Maj.Gen. in the reserves. He declined to comment. By the way I don't know if you can tell but he was not the head of my local fan club. The man impresses me not the rank.

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

Most of my buddies tossed their medals. Some left em at the wall. Most agree that the ones that really deserve them are buried on distant shores. I say no to the purple heart changing. If you must than create another.

[jimkim]

+1^ Capt is right. I would go a step further and say that if for any reason it is found that you didn't deserve it then you should be stripped of it.

[Rambo]

My father had two cousins who came home from combat in the Pacific in WWII and both committed suicide within weeks of being back. We consider them casualties of that war. Lots of Vets return to lead normal lives but some don't. I never saw combat in Vietnam so I cannot know what it was like, only from talking to buddies who did. Wounded in battle would be difficult to prove for mental illness though.

[Dookiebutt]

Originally Posted by jd1911

^^^that is hillarious well i know people who claim they have ptsd and they dont and i know people who have it and think they dont some say i have it in my unit but i dont know if they did give the purple heart only in the extreme cases should they recieve it just my opinion we actuallt discussed it the other day at work

If non-use of punctutation is a symptom, I think you have it.

[CalifgirlinOk]

Originally Posted by Dookiebutt

If non-use of punctutation is a symptom, I think you have it.

A while back there was a thread on people who couldn't spell and it caused a lot of bitterness!! If you don't like the way a person types don't read it.So please don't start acting like you are the punctutation police...Stick with the topic of this thread PLEASE...!!!

[TheWanderingMind]

I not only object to giving a Purple Heart to mental stress cases, I object to the current ranking of the Purple Heart among medals. It ranks with the Bronze Star Medal. For not ducking in time?


The Purple Heart should rank in the "Service Medals" category, not in the "Gallantry Awards." In our crazy military promotion system, getting a hunk of shrapnel stuck in your rear end gives you the same number of points for promotion as taking out an Al Quaeda machinegun position. You could be a top-notch infantry squad leader and miss promotion because some supply clerk tripped over an IED on his way back from work one night.

Yes, honor the Purple Heart! My dad got two of them in the Pacific in War Deuce, and I think they're proper recognition. But don't degrade the medal by handing it out for PTSD and don't equate it with the gallantry awards.

[Marine1]

Originally Posted by jimkim

+1^ Capt is right. I would go a step further and say that if for any reason it is found that you didn't deserve it then you should be stripped of it.

Since enough time has passed, my opinion is...Purple Hearts are designated for "in combat" related "physical combat wounds". All services have a ribbon or medal for "served in combat duties" - (ie) (U.S. Army - (C.I.B.) (Combat Infrantrymans Badge), U.S. Marine Corps - (C.A.R.) Combat Action Ribbon, U.S. Navy (C.A.R.), Combat Action Ribbon, U.S. Air Force (A.F.C.A.R.) Air Force Combat Action Ribbon, U.S. Coast Guard (Several Meritorious and Campaign Ribbons of Service Awards For Different Theatres of Campaigns). If a ribbon or medal is being considered for "mental trama"...one should be struck, (as Scotty mentioned), as not to confuse those who were wounded under actual combat conditions with enemy forces. Could this possibly open new doors, for millions upon millions to have their historical records changed ("example-DD214 form", or other historical records) and be awarded the Purple Heart for mental trama and disability monies awards, as with current combat related Purple Heart Awardees? Could this new ruling, possibly "grand-father back" to the American Revolutionary War of (1775–1783), (since George Washington, first authorized the medal)...and... if the mental trama facts can be proven by living relatives today, unless... some time related... statute of limitations, can be established? These questions may appear to be "far fetched"....but where the government thinking is today.....one must consider all avenues of approach! I think this will open a massive can of worms?

[jimkim]

Just to clarify I was agreeing that another medal would be the way to go.

[nathangdad]

We have more psychologically wounded than physically wounded. They need recognition, respect, and treatment. When I was very young I saw so many of the WW2 veterans living in the oil fields of West Texas go
to rack and ruin treating their unresolved problems with alcohol. So
do not try to tell me the "Greatest Generation" just came back, rolled up their sleeves, and built post war America. Behind closed doors it was a battle to end the war. They had a phrase called "drink yourself sober"
which meant those who awoke with involuntary shaking of the hands from actue alcoholism would take a few drinks or a few beers when they woke up to steady themselves before going to work. I do not mean to imply every WW2 had problems but plenty of them did have varying degrees of mental instability.

[Windwalker]

Receiving a medal for mental stress related problems could be used by the gun-grabbers to deny the Veteran the right to own a gun.

[Seabeescotty]

I have had the honor of knowing quite a few WW2 vets, and found that, because they served as a unit, they were less prone to PTSD. They were able to communicate with one another, and the trip home was a healing process, in it's own right. The Korean War was similar, except for the replacements who would never quite fit in with the original members of a unit. In Vietnam, you went to war alone, and came home, alone. Everything that happened to you remained bottled up, and unresolved. Some could deal with it, and some just drank or medicated themselves into a nonfunctioning stupor. Some said to hell with it, and took the final step into oblivion. The military realized that they had a problem, and went back to whole unit deployments. One of my sons came home with problems, and was able to get help on the base. The one negative side of this is the gung-ho's who stand around and say that only cowards need counciling. I suggested to my son that he ignore the BS, and get whatever help he felt was needed, to be able to function. He took my advice, and is doing great. A medal for PTSD is the only way I would agree to an award. The purple heart has it's own history, and it's own significence, as a badge of honor for being wounded in combat. Leave it alone!

[HARDERTR]

The Purple Heart is a joke nowadays. I feel sorry for the vets that really earned them in this war and all wars prior.

IEDs and mortar fire are really common here now. If you so much as get a SCRATCH from one, you are likely to get a Purple Heart. I know several guys that got them, and YES, they did get lucky because they didn't die, but most of them realize their medal doesn't mean as much we were "raised" to believe they did.

As far as the PTSD..... I know folks that have been "diagnosed" with it. Some before we deployed so they could get out of the deployment, and some will likely claim it from THIS deployment. I have no respect for ANY of them who I am speaking of!

No matter how bad things get, I can say I will refuse to be assocatiated with PTSD. It is considered a mental disorder, and will likely come into play regarding gun ownership in the future.

[Seabeescotty]

Harder, remember the little saying, "never say never"? I've known some veterans who said just that, and at the end, had to ask for help with the problem. Some seem to never be affected, and others seem predisposed to the worst of the problem. And yes, I've known some who used it to milk the system. They are no longer a part of my life, to say the least. But it is real, and it has destroyed countless lives, so please, pay attention to those around you, and reach out to the ones who need help.