Arthur Wiederhold

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Lessons from Nam

The Vietnam War was waged from November 1955 to April 1975. When Japan was defeated in WWII, the Japanese left Vietnam in the hands of Emperor Bao, but Ho Chi Minh led the Viet Minh to take Hanoi from the emperor, largely due to the communist inspiration of China and the Soviet Union. To retaliate, with the support of France, Emperor Bao declared Saigon as the capital of Vietnam and went after the North. In 1955, President Eisenhower pledge his support to South Vietnam, giving way to more American participation in the war. In 1961, fearing the domino effect of communism in the world, President Kennedy increased U.S. presence in Vietnam. In 1965, President Johnson made the decision to send U.S. troops into battle in Vietnam. In April 1975, Saigon fell and was renamed to Ho Chi Minh City, and U.S. troops left Vietnam in haste and confusion. An estimated 2 million Vietnamese were killed, 3 million were wounded, and over 12 million were without homes because of the war. There were far lesser U.S. deaths and casualties, but the Vietnam War left one of the most undesirable scars in U.S. history. The war in Vietnam turned Americans into angry protesters in streets and in school campuses. Many believed that the war was not a brunt for the U.S. to bear, yet U.S. leaders feared that the spread of communism in the Indo-Pacific region will upset the precarious balance of freedom and trade throughout the world. In reality, however, communism only spread to Cambodia and Laos, and the domino effect remained an incorrect theory. After the war, the United States imposed a complete trade embargo on Vietnam, withholding vital assistance to a crumbling, war-torn country. In response, the rest of the world followed the Superpower’s lead, turning a blind eye toward the dire state of Vietnam. Slowly, Vietnam righted itself in spite the many internal conflicts that it continued to face. In 1995, President Clinton lifted the trade embargo, and thus began a hopeful new chapter in Vietnam’s history. One of the leading nations in Southeast Asia today, Vietnam is an open book for reflection. Nam teaches us that wars are costly, and fixing the damages of war is a long and difficult process of trial and error. We also learn that propagandas must be treated with caution, and the media must not be taken as accurate, honest, and reliable source of information at all times. Finally, we learn that, when life and livelihood are at stake, nobody truly wins a war. Read the full article

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The Domino Effect America Fears to This Day

In March 1965, U.S. troops came ashore north of Da Nang. This event is the official start of America’s involvement in the war although intelligence activities had begun earlier. Then president Johnson expressed his concern about the effects of the Vietnam War, and he was right to be concerned. The unpopular war was a failure and the downfall of Johnson’s administration. Why was the war so unpopular? For one, Vietnam is located halfway around the world. Its concerns as a nation seem irrelevant to American society, so Americans did not believe U.S. involvement was necessary. Also, many felt the U.S. draft system was an uncalled for step. It prompted a lot of demonstrations in school campuses and in the streets. The media did not help either, reporting accounts or stories that were often exaggeration of the truths or were just plain inaccurate. Why did America join the war? President Eisenhower coined the term “domino effect” in one of his speeches, which became the foundation of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. According to the theory, the start of communism in Vietnam will ignite a larger Communist fire throughout Asia and, ultimately, affect the whole world. As a staunch democracy, the American government felt its duty to stop such a crisis from happening. President Kennedy also said that U.S. security was at stake if communism will continue to grow. Its interest in its territories was also at stake. As a result, he increased the number of U.S. troops in Vietnam, prompting more negative reactions from Americans. In reality, communism went all the way to Laos and Cambodia after the Fall of Saigon, but it did not flourish in other neighboring Asian countries. In short, the domino effect that the United States was so afraid will happen did not actually happen. It took the Fall of Saigon for the U.S. troops to leave Vietnam in hasty helicopter evacuations. Over 58,000 American lives were lost to the Vietnam war, and many more suffered lasting effects. Was the U.S. involvement worth it? Today, there are lessons from history that are still largely ignored, lessons about involvement, lessons about domino effect, lessons about wars. History does repeat itself sometimes to a lesser degree, but yes, history repeats itself. Read the full article

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Vietnam Relations Throughout the Years

Fearing the domino effect of communism, the United States joined the Vietnam War in 1965, but two years after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords and following the Fall of Saigon, American troops hastily left Vietnam in 1975. The years after witnessed a difficult time between the two nations. The United States imposed a total trade embargo and withheld much-needed support from Vietnam. This move by the superpower nation prompted around nations and global organizations to turn their backs on Vietnam as well. Vietnam was left in total financial disarray, with majority of its people living with homes and without employment. While the United States took responsibility for some of its liabilities during the Vietnam War, it did not extend this remuneration to Vietnamese victims. Case in point: Agent Orange and its victims. Agent Orange was widely used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal war program. Unfortunately, its lasting and irrevocable effects affected not only the Viet Cong but the U.S. military as well. The United States government put in place a program for the U.S. collateral damages, but nothing for the Vietnamese. This drove the two nations further apart from reaching amicable resolutions. Furthermore, Vietnam waged a campaign in Cambodia, which became a full-scale conflict in 1978 and which the United States was strongly opposed to. For decades, it seemed like U.S.-Vietnam relations was hopeless, but this changed when former president Bill Clinton formally lifted the trade embargo in 1995, allowing for the start of a renewed relationship between the two former allies. This U.S. move prompted the help of the international community to pour into Vietnam, helping the once-war-torn country to recover its economy. Vietnam also opened its shores to capitalism, allowing more foreign investors in. Today, decades after the war, the United States and Vietnam maintain a healthy relationship built on trade and security, and Vietnam, the country once raged by conflict, is now one of the rising economies in Asia that has set its sights to become a developed country by 2020. Read the full article

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Vietnam After the War

The last American personnel left Vietnam in April 1975. In what is known as the Fall of Saigon, North Vietnamese soldiers crashed the gates of the Presidential Palace, and the South Vietnamese president handed over the rule of the land to North Vietnamese officers, effectively ending the Vietnam War. Roughly twenty years after the war began and after over three million deaths of soldiers and civilians, Vietnam was on its way to reformation. But reformation and reconciliation did not easily take place. Vietnam took quiet a beating, the country ravaged by bombs and by Agent Orange and people displaced from homes and livelihoods. More than that, there was the issue of trust among Vietnamese. Who can they trust from here on out? Added to the Agent Orange problems are tons of unexploded ordnance, 20-30 million land mines left behind by the US and French and thousands of deadly booby traps planted by the VC that were forgotten or simply left in place. A large number of south Vietnamese were brutalized. Their properties were confiscated and they were sent to harsh labor camps for up to 15 years simply because they were friendly toward Americans or had capitalistic ideals. Deng was a monster at best and it's a  crying shame that we abandoned that country and allowed this to happen. It was a very miserable reunion at best and it's doubtful that Ho Chi-Ming would have allowed this to happen had he lived. For the next 20 years, thousands of Vietnamese risked their lives to escape this brutal regime and even today to simply display the old South Vietnamese flag or wear those colors is punishable by imprisonment. Speaking out for your rights or against the government is also a prison sentence, probably in a labor camp that they never admitted existed. The war still lingers and will continue to do so until the last of the monsters who won it are dead. America cut off its support of Vietnam after the war, imposing a trade embargo that affected Vietnam immensely. While America paid for the damages done by Agent Orange, only American veterans and/or their families were compensated, Vietnamese were not. Other multilateral organizations like the World Bank held off support as well, pushing a war-worn country into further poverty. When Vietnam’s socialist policy collapsed in the eighties, Vietnam began selling surplus products, allowing capitalism back to its fold. Foreign investors were encouraged, and the Vietnamese government slowly made reconciliation with America. The US trade embargo was lifted in1994 and Vietnam was finally on its way to progress. Through the nineties, there were still tremors of socialism felt underneath the wave of capitalism, but Vietnam did not allow this to stop its tracks toward real progress. Slowly but surely, it pulled its people out of poverty so that, by the 2000, only 32 percent lived below poverty line. Vietnam wisely turned its focus on the education of its people and lasting trade alliances with other nations. It became a member of the World Trade Organization, which meant more and more foreign investments poured into its coffers, and by educating its people, they became partners for reform, not mere constituents that took from the government. Today, Vietnam attracts tourists who are eager to see remnants of the war long ago, as well as cultural attractions. Vietnam proudly shows off its scars, proof that it has survived a long, dark, and confusing period in history, a period that has helped usher the progress now experienced in Vietnam. It seems all is well for the country. Read the full article

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The Disputed Seas of the Pacific

The dispute over maritime territories in the Pacific has been going on for decades involving Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines, China, and other neighboring countries. Many fears this is the start of world war III.   The South China Sea has long been a source of dispute among Pacific nations like Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Brunei, and Taiwan. It is an important international trading route. In the sixteenth century, the Europeans started calling it South China Sea to set it apart from other bodies of water in the area, but it does not solely belong to China. Presently, China has claimed 90 percent of the South China Sea, much to the disapproval of neighboring countries like Vietnam and the Philippines. Why is the South China Sea important to China? The South China Sea is an abundant source of water resources as well as natural gas. Also, an estimated $3.37 trillion worth of international trade passes through the South China Sea. China itself uses the South China Sea to import over 80 percent of energy and almost 40 percent of China’s total trade passes through the South China Sea. China has built islands in territories claimed by other nations. Like Vietnam, China has also used the waters for military exercises. Unlike Vietnam however, China takes on a more-aggressive approach in claiming ownership of the waters. In April 2019, reports regarding ten islands built by Vietnam in the South China Sea made headlines. Vietnam was quick to subdue the international interest that followed, assuring everyone that Vietnam’s actions are defensive in nature and Vietnam has no desire to wage war over its maritime territory. As a member of the ASEAN, Vietnam is definitely not viewed as an aggressive party.  ASEAN members use diplomatic approaches to settle disputes of any kind. Whether or not China will take heed of the initiatives of the ASEAN members remains to be seen. However, other nations are already invested in the effort to keep the South China Sea free from Chinese control. Among these nations are Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, and France. These countries have pledge support in order to protect maritime territories. Like other nations around the South China Sea, Vietnam does not look forward to further conflicts, especially another war. It can be recalled that Vietnam lost thousands of lives and livelihood during the Vietnam War. Now that it is a flourishing Asian nation, Vietnam would like to protect its waters without resulting to armed military conflicts especially with China, the largest military power in Asia. The ASEAN hopes to resolve the disputes in time to stop further aggression from all parties involve. The international community waits with bated breath. Read the full article

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What Makes or Breaks Alliances?

The U.S. has alliances with other countries and continues to influence the world in terms of economic, political, military, and social policies. What does the U.S. get in return?   On March 8, 1965, American combat troops came ashore in Da Nang, coming in to aid South Vietnam in its time of war against the north. The Americans fought alongside its ally until 1973, as a result of the Case-Church Amendment passed by Congress, which prohibited U.S. military involvement in Vietnam. Due to the U.S. eight-year involvement in the Vietnam War, many American lives were lost, but America, to protect her interest and her alliance with South Vietnam, saw the necessity of her action, proving the importance of the alliances of nations. But what is an alliance? What makes or breaks one? Are all alliances fail-safe solutions? Alliance is defined by statesmen and scholars as “a promise of mutual military assistance between two or more sovereign states.” This agreement of cooperation means more than just government programs or joint activities; alliance goes deeper and is more far-reaching, more often in forms of military pacts where each nation is assured of the other’s full support when faced with a common enemy. An alliance is the main instrument of national security. Each alliance is made with the consideration that additional military force from another country may tip the balance in an ongoing war; that being allied with the right country that has a great military force may even stop a war from starting; and that an alliance with the right country will ensure strategic advantage over control with security, data, economy, and perception. Every alliance needs to be put in fine print, and circumstances must be defined as clearly as possible, also known as casus foederis.  Each state must be in agreement with all the aspects of the treaty. Knowing and understanding the conditions of the treaty will make it easier to understand how to maintain the alliance, watch out for points of escalation, or know when diffusion of conflict is needed to ensure that the alliance remains intact. So if cooperation, trust, knowledge, and advantages make an alliance, what breaks one? Alliances are not always positive. Some alliances may be a drain on a country’s military strength, and the uncertainty in future military support will always be present. No alliance has ever been or will ever be an unqualified blessing. Everything comes with a price. When a country comes to their ally’s aid, this means costs—cost in men’s lives, weapons, supplies, and a whole lot more. This cost of involvement does not come easy. If one country feels that the other can’t contribute or has not lived up to the agreement, then it is the end. If one country does not send the promised military assistance needed after they had done their part, then the military reason disappears. Remember that military support and cooperation is usually the backbone of an alliance, therefore, take that away and you are left with almost nothing. Another major reason for an alliance ending is when there is a change in the power of states. A change in people who hold power may mean a change in government policy. New policy-making processes may endanger the current alliance since this may result in new leaders not willing to honor the commitments of their predecessors. In the end, no matter how much care, detail, or time you spend ensuring that an alliance is fool-proof, this will never be assured. Shifting loyalties, ever-changing leaders and ideologies, and unseen factors will always threaten any and all alliance policies. Read the full article

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The Biggest Army in the World

All in war is lost as death is the utmost winner of them all. The biggest army in the world can never succumb the fact that the stench of death is lurking when both sides decide to attain their own personal agenda and make it look like it’s a country’s purpose to achieve. The men behind the scenes have a more remarkable story than those in the front liner as they are the ones who suffer from the blast. If a camera can capture the scenery and can make a story out from it, the photographer captures the essence of that scenery that his heart alone can duplicate. July 1970 was a 23-day battle between Uncle Sam and the North of Vietnam and this year marks the many events that unfold during and after the war.   Countries can dominate another in a form of colonization, speaking of which Vietnam has many suitors in the following order: 1887 France over Vietnam calling it “French Indochina”, that led to 1923-1930 in the making of Indochinese Communist Party, Nazi Germany takes control of  France in 1940 which Japan in turn invaded French Indochina and occupied Vietnam with little French resistance. Only then in 1941 did the establishment of League for Independence of Vietnam took in action thus the 1945 declaration of independence. The rest is truly history as the lead on freedom was a few years in the making. Having to know what historical facts are concerning Vietnam and its neighboring countries this was the gathering of the biggest army in the world that led to the unification of North and South Vietnam which never happened as par to the elections. Ongoing colonization took place and the years went by like a crippled man who slowly made its progress to finally reach the peak of his destination as he drags himself day and night to get to where all things settled. 1975 was the year marked to sultry unification of North and South Vietnam after all the battles it went through as a country against many others who are in dire need to colonize. You see, in the pursuit of acquisition all is lost in war no matter how diplomatic it may sound like. Read the full article

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The Cost of War: How Much Is Spent to Win Wars

How much do wars waged by the government cost the public? It’s easy to think of terrorism and security without considering the cost to win wars.   Wars are costly. But even times of relative peace need a budget allocation in order to prepare a nation in case a war does become imminent. In 2018, the total global military spending hit $1.82 trillion (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), 60 percent of which came from five countries: the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India, and France. US military spending grew by 4.6 percent and reached $649 billion in 2018. USA remains the largest spender in the world in terms of military spending and spent almost as much on its military in 2018 as the next eight largest-spending countries put together. China, the next highest spender, spent $250 billion in 2018, having allocated 1.9 percent of its GDP to the military since 2013 and despite GDP growth in the last three months of 2018 having crawled to 6.4 percent. With arguably the most-advanced technology in military history, the USA remains the most formidable foe in the world, but US military budget is not spent on technology alone. The US military budget has 4 different components: base budget for the Department of Defense overseas contingency operations of other agencies like the State Department, National Nuclear Security Administration, etc.operational capabilities objective for the State Department and Homeland Security All these four components provide the US and its citizens the security it deserves and allow the US to reach out to other nations in need of military assistance. The military budget allocation allows the US to take care of the men and women serving the country and of our veterans. Although all these figures are well recorded, there are still unquantifiable costs that we do not know of. For example, a father lost in the throes of war, a house or a community that became collateral damages of war. While part of the budget allocation is to cover for these types of losses, how much do you say a father costs? How much does a house full of memories and hope for a family cost? How can we liquidate those types of losses and fairly or accurately recompense the survivors? There are countless veterans who are without families, homes, or livelihood. Will any budget allocation truly compensate for their losses? War may be a necessary evil, but its cost is more than any budget can cover. Wars cost wasted lives. Read the full article

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The Deceptive Media on War

The side that wins the war is usually the one that uses all his resources to his advantage—the media being one of those powerful tools. It is a lethal tool of deception.   The media is the main means of communicating during times of conflict, but it also becomes a weapon of war that each side is very much willing to use to their advantage. Remember that wars or conflicts are fought on two grounds—the battlefield and the minds of the people. The battlefield is only half the war. The other important aspect of it is now the fight is being perceived—who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, or who is winning and who is losing. This is where media manipulation comes in. Media manipulation is defined as “a series of related techniques in which partisans create an image or argument that favours their particular interests.” It uses several tactics such as logical fallacies, psychological manipulations, suppression of information, internet manipulation, and photo and video manipulation. These tactics help governments control what information is being shared and how the war is being perceived by the public. Having control of the media allows each side to put forward propagandas that will sway the public to their side. The right propaganda will help rally the people behind the cause that a government wants to champion. A propaganda that pushes a negative image of the “enemy” also strengthens the righteousness of those who are pushing for war. This type of propaganda creates more support from the people and emphasizes the need that they must do what they need to do in order to defeat the “enemy.” But there is one less-obvious form of manipulation that most military take advantage of—embedded journalists. This is when a journalist is deployed with various military forces. This was an idea that the public relations industry came up in with 2003 during the short invasion of Iraq. This provides a more in-depth view of an ongoing war. For the media, this makes for a fascinating news story and provides their viewers a detailed view of the war. For the military, however, this becomes an advantage. These journalists are now more inclined to generate stories that are favorable to their operations. If the journalists decide to create news that are not favorable to the military, they will find that the military are not as friendly and cooperative. If they have these journalists in hand, then the war is already half won. “We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy’s side of the front is always propaganda, and what is said on our side of the front is truth and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for peace.” Such are the words of Walter Lippman that fully, and concisely, shows how the media plays an important part during times of war. Read the full article

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What Really Happens in the Battlefield?

Who knows what really happens in the battlefield? Not civilians who are safe within the confines of the community. Who knows other than soldiers themselves.   Sir John Keegan, an English military historian, defines battle as “something that happens between two armies leading to the moral then physical disintegration of one or the other of them.” This is an ideal technical definition, but we know the reality of it is far from this ideal definition. A battlefield made up of death and life, of courage and fear, and of survival. A battlefield is the end of the lives that were sacrificed for “the greater good.” It is the beginning of peace or, much worse, the beginning of another war. The battlefield is where dreams die or where heroes are born. But much of the reality of a battlefield is left in the memories of war veterans or in the dramatized world of cinema. So often we ask, what really happens in a battlefield? There is no better word to describe the battlefield except chaos. Chaos of the soldiers fighting, bullets flying, bombs exploding, soldiers surviving and dying. There is also a lesser-obvious chaos that forms a battlefield—the chaos of the mind and emotions of those who are in the thick of it, whether it’s of the general outside the battlefield deciding to sacrifice lives to save more lives or of the soldier who deals with his comrade’s death in front of his eyes. In the battlefield, there are several types of men. Some soldiers feel fear when faced with their own mortality. Some soldiers feel anger and get fueled by revenge when they witness others dying. Some are filled with courage and become more determined to keep on fighting to end the war. Some feel honor and keep on fighting until their last breath or until the war is won. In one particular mission, the focus was on Lance Corporal Miller. He died in the midst of their mission and his body was halfway up a minaret. His brothers from his marine unit risked their lives over and over again trying to climb up that minaret to get to Lance Corporal Miller and retrieve his body. This sacrifice for their brother is something that has been witnessed in other battlefields. Soldiers risk their lives to retrieve other soldiers’ bodies, in turn dying or getting injured. Countless stories of sacrifice of soldiers are told over and over, showing that in the middle of all chaos and pain, the pureness of humanity and the brotherhood of men will always shine through. But what is left after a war is a whole another battlefield to conquer.  Read the full article

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Grave Instances Bring Out the Best and Worst of Men

Different people respond to situations differently, but one thing is certain, difficult situations bring the best and the worst of men, especially wars. Difficult situations either makes us a hero or a villain. The stress, pressure, and impossible choices bring out the best and the worst in humanity. Death, deceit, and betrayal are some of the grave instances that may push a person beyond his or her limits. Probably the greatest example of this is in times of war. War affects all kinds of people—whether you are part of the military or you are a civilian, whether you are an adult or a child, whether you are a man or a woman. War does not discriminate; it only rages on and destroys all in its path. During times of war, soldiers have to kill or hurt their enemies. They are always faced with the burden of ending someone’s life to save another’s life. This duty to their country comes with a heavy price. Because no matter how you put it, hostile forces or not, the enemy is also a human being. And every time a soldier has to end a life, they are also faced with their own mortality. Each death gets etched in a soldier’s soul. Not only are they burdened with the enemies’ deaths, they also have to deal with their comrade’s death—some they hear about after the fighting is done while some, and probably the worst, are deaths they witness right in front of their eyes or in their arms. These grueling circumstances sometimes create stronger individuals. These wartime survivors come out of the war determined to make their life better. These are the people who, when faced with their own mortality, realizes that they have to make the most of the rest of their remaining life and live their lives to the best of their ability in honor of those who sacrificed their lives for their freedom. While some are built stronger, there are those who will never come back whole from war. Most soldiers experience shell shock or combat stress reaction. This post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) makes it harder for soldiers to go back to the lives they’ve left behind. When not dealt with properly, the worst version of a soldier goes home. PTSD can cause one to turn to drugs or alcohol to deal with their grief and conscience. Some distance themselves from their family and from society. Some will find it hard to create lasting bonds with other people and opt to continue with their life on their own, always pushing people away. And lastly, war can create a monster—a human that delights in inflicting pain in others. Knowing the effects of war, support systems—doctors, family, loved ones, community—will have to band together to create a safe and loving environment for soldiers, and people who went through trauma, to come back to. This safe environment will ensure that he or she will have all the space and time to heal from their wound, both physically and mentally, and deal with all that has weighed on his or her soul. Read the full article

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The Passion to Serve Others

You don’t have to be a saint or a public servant to serve others. You can do something to make the life of the person next to you easier and make the world a better place. True service is a form of self-sacrifice. To serve is to put yourself last, prioritizing the needs of those around you first. True service requires time, commitment, and perseverance. You need passion to serve others because the life dedicated to service is not an easy one. Around the world, many people and organizations have dedicated their lives to serve others. Some devote themselves to the less fortunate, raising funds for basic needs like food, medication, and shelter. Others promote free education for all. Some take care of unwanted children and help them get adopted. Others provide hot soup for the homeless. The scientists who work day and night to find the cure for dreaded diseases are examples of true service. Doctors, nurses, and caregivers give so much of themselves for others. The teachers who ensure children are taught properly are doing humanity true service. The military servicemen and women, the policemen, the firefighters, the rescue volunteers are ready to sacrifice their lives to serve others. Ideally, leaders and all public servants should have the interest of the public at heart. Ideally, they should consider their personal interest last. They should be the personification of true and honest service. If that is what we see and observe these days is another story, but you don’t have to be a leader or a public servant in order to serve others. In fact, you don’t need to belong to a profession, have a degree, or hold a title in order to serve others. Many of those who perform acts of service are unrecognized members of the community. They are not doctors, teachers, or firefighters. They are ordinary men and women who perform simple acts of kindness when no one is watching. They are people who go out of their way to lend a helping hand even to strangers. They are members of the society who would rather remain unknown, knowing they don’t need any fanfare to help. True service rewards immensely. People who willingly share their time and effort get more satisfaction from life. They make genuine friends and real connections. Even without monetary reward, real service to others gives a sense of fulfilment rarely found in other endeavours. Indeed, what you sow is what you reap. Sow happiness and positivity and it will come back to you a hundredfold. True service to others is indeed an honor and a privilege. Read the full article

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Recovering from War Trauma

Anybody who witnessed or experienced the horrors of war can develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD can affect people from all walks of life, ethnicity, age, or religious orientation. Refugees deal with war trauma, especially children. However, veterans are the most-likely victims of war-related trauma. They experience what is called shell shock. They deal with physical, emotional, and psychological issues. Indeed, for military men and women who have seen real-life combat, the worst part of war is picking up the pieces of life before the war. Some do not have families to go back to anymore. Others could not find employment and end up without work or homes. Some lose themselves and do not find their way back anymore. In fact, veterans make up 14 percent of adult suicides in the United States in 2016. It is therefore important to take action at the onset of PTSD. Some symptoms include mood swings that range from depression, extreme rage over war-memory triggers, and reclusiveness; sleeping disorders; nightmares and panic attacks. Getting help by talking to a professional is an important step in winning over PTSD. No one should have to deal with war-induced PTSD alone. There are lots of help to choose from if one does not feel comfortable talking to a psychiatrist. There are pastors and other religious leaders who would gladly give their time and attention to those in need of a listening ear. Also, there are hotlines available to call. More importantly, connecting with family and friends will prove to be healthy. It is important to always be on the move and limit alone time; hence, starting a hobby with a spouse or a friend will also help as well as joining a club or an organization. The right diet and consistent exercise will also help regulate PSTD. Last but not the least, there is no peace on earth as strong and as encompassing as the peace only the Lord can give. Starting a relationship with him or rekindling a lost one will heal many weary hearts. Take heart Matthew 11:28–30: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Read the full article

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Post-War Stories: Rising from the Ashes

There is rage like I never knew before. Rage over the tiniest, slightest triggers. Who is this person? I often ask myself. Where did all this come from? Of course, like many others before me and many more after me, I blame the war I came out from. I am not the same person anymore—or more accurately, there are two people warring inside me: one, the pre-war man I was and the man I desperate want to be again—a good provider to my family and loving husband and father who loved to joke around and who enjoyed Super Bowl and a few cold ones as much as the next man—and two, the post-war person—or shell—I have become. Sometimes, I try so hard to stop the post-war persona to take over, but I end up depressed for days and days. Why? I guess, war does that to you. No matter how hard you trained and how prepared you thought you were, nothing prepares you for war. Not in that sense any way. After all, how do you really prepare to take lives when you haven’t killed as much as a squirrel in your life? How do you prepare to pull the trigger and ignore the pleas of the enemy begging for his life? Sure, you’d barely understand the language, but there is no mistaking the horror in the eyes of a man about to die. That look will haunt you no matter how tight you shut your eyes. In fact, you see even better, like you are back in real-life action, when you close your eyes. You see blood and gore, you see defenceless women and children sprawled on streets—collateral damage of a war they never asked for—and you see yourself, acting hero-like and God-like, dispensing death to enemies you never knew you had until now. When I am in this state­, I take whatever ray of sunshine—memory, encouragement, prayer—to make it back to the person I am now. I guess, I can never be truly the man I was before, but I try to make peace with the man I am now and thank Divine Providence for being here. Some of us military men and women lose so much more. Some make it out alive, like I did, but have no family or girlfriend or fiancée to return to. Some, without family and source of income, become homeless. Some just lose their marbles. Where’s the sense in getting out alive? At night, after saying my prayers where I ask absolution, I go over a list I made years ago—the whys of going to war: my family and their security, justice, world peace, America. After that, I count my blessings. I think I’m pretty blessed the way I am today. Sometimes I count and count and count blessings until I surrender to sleep. The sleep gods sometimes take pity on me and let me know peace in my sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll try again to rise from the ashes. Read the full article

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The Destructions of War

Before discussing the destructions of war, it is important to understand why such an event happens. When a conflict arises between two or more groups (or nations) and a compromise or reconciliation is not met, the leaders of the groups (or nations) are forced to agree to wage a war over an unresolved matter. Wars are either within the nation between two or more groups or between two or more nations. Matters and factors may differ as to why wars break out. Despite the difference in matters or factors, the destructions of war is similar to any other wars: The innocents are wiped out without justice; a lasting sorrow manifests in the eyes of the survivors; scarcity in food and water supply; rape and other inhumane injustices; and, the birth of grudge against other nations. These destructions of war affect so many lives, most especially those who are on the battlefield. There comes a point when a soldier contemplates deeply about his true purpose. Sometimes, he loses sight of the realized purpose as a rain of bullets flashes before him. He may regain his purpose after the madness ebbs away or he realizes another one. Moreover, the loyalty of soldiers to the ones they are protecting puts them into more peril. To see the innocent ones or even their fellow soldier die before them would scar them for life. Aside from them, the innocent villagers are no exemptions. They watch their friends and family die. Each night they relive the sorrow as nightmares haunt them. This is war’s harsh reality: To willingly move on from a past heartache yet the suddenness of nightmares drags you back to the start. The gory death and torture reside in the mind even after the war becomes a memory. War brings with it a series of tragedies that will be tattooed in everyone’s heart. But because of how grave the circumstances are, realizations hit everyone hard: The small things in life may bring comfort to an aching heart; Time becomes more precious than money; and, friends become more important.   Have you read my article on War Heroes We Don't Talk About? Read the full article

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War Heroes We Don't Talk About

Do you remember the time in your childhood when you wanted to become a war hero? Listening to war story fantasies charges our heart with courage that we want to follow the footsteps of war heroes. Thereafter, we read real war books and watch war documentaries. As a result, our perception of war deepens and we get to know the details of the war heroes that went unrecognized. During the Vietnam War, contempt against the war heroes swept across the media. This resulted in the formation of anti-war rallies, defiling the truth. Because such stories created a shocking impact on the public, the media disregards the realities of the war. Unfair as it seemed, the stories of the war heroes were never mentioned. The American soldiers stayed in Vietnam to protect the locals from the savagery of the Viet Cong (VC). Their willingness to protect the innocents showed high honors that the media never dug into. Sure, they requited the brutalities of the VC to the VC members, but they only did it to make sure that the locals were never harmed. Nam was such a beautiful place to just let terrorists take over it. Although they were granted the chance to go home, most of them were willing to come back. The thought of putting the local’s lives in the relentless hands of the VC was too much to bear. Now, how are the American soldiers savages when all they did was to protect the vulnerable locals? The collective conscious barely knows something about the true war heroes since they base their facts on news outlets. Additionally, the reports that the media airs came from the journalists who did not even experience the ravages of the war. They were somewhere safe in one of Vietnam’s cities. Rapists, savages, or heroes, the soldiers could care less about what the public called them. Labels were the least of their concerns. What matters to them most was their unwavering commitment to helping those who couldn’t defend themselves. Words of their honorable deeds have failed to reach their countrymen, but that does really matter?   Have you read my article about The Goodness in Us amid Despair? Read the full article

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The Goodness in Us amid Despair

When the weight of the world pushes us to the point of desperation, we think that despair overturns the goodness in men. However, goodness is a part of our nature wherein no amount of hate can ever completely surmount. Amid despair, the goodness in us thrives and beats onward no matter how faint. In times of war, we come to sights that traumatically bruise our hearts. Most times the trauma never fades; it lives and dies with us. Parents suffer more from seeing their children raped by terrorists before they die. A bullet hits the temple of an innocent child. Genocide comes for free in the hands of those who have the power to act malevolently. All of these are events that happen in wars. Lives greatly suffer from injustices and irrational hatred. Despite the load of despair that wars carry with them, some men still fight for something. They protect the lives of the innocent even at the stake of their own. Instead of turning against the good nature of man, the bruises of their hearts charge them with courage that preserves what’s left of everything good in this world: kindness, love, hope, faith, and other virtues that make a man good. A factual example of this is when American soldiers stayed in Nam to defend the locals from the treachery of the Viet Cong. They can’t afford to leave the people who have nothing to do with the war be held victims of an unjust death. Even if they have lost members of their units who have become family to them and grief occupies their hearts, they remain loyal to their cause. It is hard to protect the people you care for with a burden in your chest—to abandon them in the hands of injustices even more so. By nature, there is goodness inside us that will never be extirpated. After all, we are strong and resilient; we are very much capable of handling anything that life throws at us. Sure, hearts may bruise at the loss of loved ones, but it overcomes the struggles of sorrow and become better as the other chapters of life unfold.   Have you read my article about War: A Test of Virtue? Read the full article