NYT magazine article on how a decent kid became a USA Marine Corps marksman-killer in Afghanistan but struggled badly to fit back into USA civil society
The loooong article, The Fighter, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/28/magazine/afghanistan-soldier-ptsd-the-fighter.html, Dec. 28th 2016, shows how a young 18 year old boy, Sam Siatta, from Illinois, USA joined the marines out of a sense of patriotic duty, got assigned to Afghanistan where he was transformed from a decent kid to a marksman-killer with many kills, who could not relate any more to USA civil society. The lead paragraph of the article is "The Marine Corps taught Sam Siatta how to shoot. The war in Afghanistan taught him how to kill. Nobody taught him how to come home."
War is such a horrendous thing for all sides involved. Siatta learned how to survive physically in wartime using the vital and deadly skill of killing enemies, but in the process became a mental wreck!!!
After returning to USA, tragically he got drunk, broke into a home in Illinois, and got into a nasty fight with a person, also a former marine, who was armed with a knife (in self-defense). Siatta got sent to jail. What a horror story! "Boots on the ground" may be simply a phrase used in political debates to many. But I think sending a country's armed forces into combat in a foreign land is a very, very, very big decision due to the human suffering consequences involved for some, if not many, of the people sent for combat to a foreign land. I think, defending a country's land against an invader is somewhat different even if killing is involved as there would be limited or no moral confusion. Yes, those in defensive combat for the country will also go through emotional scars but perhaps the strong moral argument to fight off the invader may lessen the emotional trauma.
The article mentions a psychologist treating Siatta saying in court that reclusion, avoiding crowds, unceasing vigilance and drinking alcohol as a coping technique was common behaviour for such combat veterans "to escape from their pain and from their memories." She mentioned that the knife used by the other person to challenge Siatta after Siatta had broken into the house would have been a "huge, huge, huge trigger". She said that Siatta needs treatment.
The article also mentions a journal that Sam Siatta kept while on his tours of duty. They give the reader a clear idea of how horrendous his wartime experience was for him. Here's one such (short) entry after his group came under attack where he may have died but not only did he survive, he was the hero who killed the main shooters of the enemy that was attacking his group:
It was a great day and one of the worst days Iv had so far. Today I thought my family was going to get a folded flag and bullshit letter saying wat a great Marine I am and shit like that but I made it.
I hope my family recognizes me when I get back. and I hope they understand I’ve changed but only through the acts of self preservation. My mind cannot be healed from the horrors of war. I hope they understand.
--- end extract ---
Ravi: Fortunately, his case was reviewed and he was released from jail on something like parole, I guess.
[I thank nytimes.com and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above short extracts from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
War is such a horrendous thing for all sides involved. Siatta learned how to survive physically in wartime using the vital and deadly skill of killing enemies, but in the process became a mental wreck!!!
After returning to USA, tragically he got drunk, broke into a home in Illinois, and got into a nasty fight with a person, also a former marine, who was armed with a knife (in self-defense). Siatta got sent to jail. What a horror story! "Boots on the ground" may be simply a phrase used in political debates to many. But I think sending a country's armed forces into combat in a foreign land is a very, very, very big decision due to the human suffering consequences involved for some, if not many, of the people sent for combat to a foreign land. I think, defending a country's land against an invader is somewhat different even if killing is involved as there would be limited or no moral confusion. Yes, those in defensive combat for the country will also go through emotional scars but perhaps the strong moral argument to fight off the invader may lessen the emotional trauma.
The article mentions a psychologist treating Siatta saying in court that reclusion, avoiding crowds, unceasing vigilance and drinking alcohol as a coping technique was common behaviour for such combat veterans "to escape from their pain and from their memories." She mentioned that the knife used by the other person to challenge Siatta after Siatta had broken into the house would have been a "huge, huge, huge trigger". She said that Siatta needs treatment.
The article also mentions a journal that Sam Siatta kept while on his tours of duty. They give the reader a clear idea of how horrendous his wartime experience was for him. Here's one such (short) entry after his group came under attack where he may have died but not only did he survive, he was the hero who killed the main shooters of the enemy that was attacking his group:
It was a great day and one of the worst days Iv had so far. Today I thought my family was going to get a folded flag and bullshit letter saying wat a great Marine I am and shit like that but I made it.
I hope my family recognizes me when I get back. and I hope they understand I’ve changed but only through the acts of self preservation. My mind cannot be healed from the horrors of war. I hope they understand.
--- end extract ---
Ravi: Fortunately, his case was reviewed and he was released from jail on something like parole, I guess.
[I thank nytimes.com and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above short extracts from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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