My son returned from the war in person, but his mind never did. It took me years to understand why he refused to take off that dirty field jacket. I would beg him not to wear it. I even hid it once when he was in the shower and I don’t want to tell you the fight we had before I gave it back and he stormed out of the house to walk the streets, his mind encumbered with the scenes of war. The day I found him hanging, the coat was folded neatly on his full duffle bag.
In response to Charli Mills July 26, 2018, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about what happens next to a stranded suitcase. Go where the prompt leads you, but consider the different perspectives you can take to tell the tale.
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07/29/2018 at 12:27
This is heartbreaking, Susan.
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07/29/2018 at 14:45
Ouch. 22 vets a day in the US for real. I hope this well written flash is fiction for you.
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07/29/2018 at 19:56
Unfortunately this was based on an upper classman from my high school.
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07/31/2018 at 19:24
It’s so sad, Susan. I don’t think the veterans get enough help and the timely help when they come home from the wars.
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07/31/2018 at 20:47
You are correct Miriam. My Veteran’s writing group shares which war movies are the most authentic for me to watch to see what they experience. No wonder they don’t know what to do with their emotions once they are out of the service.
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08/01/2018 at 04:31
Yes, my friend’s son suffers sever PTSD. Even after he got a job, whenever he got a panic attack, he had to leave the job to go home. How could he keep a job. We can’t just throw people like that to go back to the job market. Charli was talking about how hard it is to get services for her hubby.
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08/02/2018 at 02:25
Susan, you wrote this flash with a measure of dignity for the veteran who found death a comfort. A good book to read is Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger. I also feel that our pre 9/11 veterans do not get the same care as post 9/11 veterans. When the military learned about TBI and the complexities of TBI/PTSD, they never went back and screen middle-aged and older veterans. 65% of veteran suicides are over the age of 50. The scary thing with TBI is that it isn’t depression that leads to suicide; it’s impulsivity. So it’s unexpected. For our Vietnam Veterans, they still need to be welcomed home! I feel like your character did that on his own. Hugs to you, that this story was based on a classmate.
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08/02/2018 at 05:59
Thanks for the book suggestion. I will read it after I am done with “The Ravens” a book about the secret war in Laos in which I had a friend spend nine tours.
The man in my flash took his life about a year after returning from Vietnam, over 40 years ago. The Afghan war vets I am in close contact with often mention suicide. It’s so sad.
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08/03/2018 at 02:21
I’ll bring up The Ravens at group tomorrow. Most of the wives are Vietnam era. Most of the Iraq and Afghan vets don’t come so their wives can’t be in group.
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08/03/2018 at 10:04
Too bad the husbands have to attend in order for the wives to come. If more wives knew they weren’t alone, the divorce rate might decrease a tad.
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08/03/2018 at 23:31
I agree! The divorce rates reflect the lack of support wives and families receive, yet they are central to the support of the veteran. I’m part of an online group for spouses of Wounded Warriors and my heart breaks for the younger wives who have no idea how to manage husbands with PTSD, TBI or the culture from which they come.
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