
The opposing general public and the lack of organization when fighting in the Vietnam War was exceedingly new and frightening for the soldiers. The rejection of the Vietnam War by the public dealt with the idea that U.S. was overstepping and didn’t need to step into another War over Democracy. PTSD affects many soldiers when they arrive back from War. In The Things They Carried the objects that are carried and the events that happen show the prevalence of PTSD within the story. The soldiers carry tangible and intangible things with them; the tangible are objects that remind them of themselves and back home. The intangible being the burdens and horrors experienced during the war. Many soldiers did not believe in the war, so they were not able to justify the horrible things that were viewed and carried out. Knowing these topics allowed for a better understanding and a glimpse into how and why the characters acted the way they did and why they the things they did in The Things They Carried. 

PTSD is defined by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs as a mental health condition triggered by experiencing a trauma or life threatening event (U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs).  PTSD is a very serious and very prevalent issue within the military system and in life today. In the article “Posttraumatic stress disorder and functioning and quality of life outcomes in nationally representative sample of male Vietnam veterans” the National Veterans Vietnam Study observed lives of Veterans from the Vietnam War with and without PTSD (Zatzick et al). The results showed that lives of Veterans with PTSD were greatly affected in many ways. The events that occurred over in Vietnam left the soldiers with constant levels of stress, interfering with normal life because they were unable to escape the ultra anxious state in non-stressful situations (Zatzick et al).  This means that the soldiers take the stress that they felt within the War Zone and never let it go.  They also have certain triggers that could cause flashbacks or certain thoughts that could hinder their normal civilian functions, like walking down the street or doing their job. In the article “Vietnam and the Soldiers’ Revolt: The Politics of a Forgotten History” it is understood that not only the people of the U.S., but also the people of the world did not agree with this war (Seidman). Tons of protests for peace in Vietnam were enacted, leading to a whole nation against the soldiers and the government. Since the draft was still in play the soldiers had no choice, but to go and fight for something they did not believe in (Seidman). 

The protests around the world and the abandonment of support for the soldiers led them to feel alone and gave them no motivation. When ones job is to kill people for something one don’t believe in, it is hard to process and justify their actions when everyone around them and at home does not approve. The only people who can really understand what is it like at war are the soldiers themselves, so having people protest against them who have no idea what they have gone through makes them feel alone. Since this was such a controversial war some soldiers started to flee or protest. This was the first war where the general public was so outraged by the action of going to War and were unsupportive of it. The fact that the people then turned their anger not only on the government, but also on the people who had no choice but to fight didn’t help either. No matter what the soldiers could do no right because if they fought they would be shunned, but if they didn’t fight and absconded they would have been labeled as cowards and jailed. The affect on the soldiers from the abandonment of their country will live with them forever. The loneliness they felt only increased their lack of assimilation and PTSD. The memory of isolation and fear will be carried forever by the soldiers due to the great affect it had on their lives during and after the war. Completing their duty, the soldiers in the book The Things They Carried, are the bravest men because they have done what everyone else refused to do and looked down upon. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “ It is easy to stand with the crowd it takes courage to stand alone”. This is exactly what the soldiers did, however even after the war they were left alone, with the horrors and trauma, because of their courage. 

Now knowing the knowledge of PTSD and the view of the Vietnam War it offers a different and more insightful perspective on the soldiers. This excerpt is from the book The Things They Carried, which delves into the hardships of the war. The soldiers struggled with keeping their sense of self every day. They carry objects with them that remind them of home or their true selves. This is a reminder of the people they were before and the people they long to be again. The war changes people and these objects are the only things related to their previous selves that they can control and hold onto. The things they carry also show their reluctance in fighting in this war. The quote from The Things They Carried, “Lavender was dead. You couldn’t burn the blame”(pg.340). The little hope Jimmy Cross had was demolished by the death of Ted Lavender, causing him to burn his letters from Martha, and in return showing the transition from the Jimmy before the war to the Jimmy during/after the war. He keeps his feelings bottled up, but those letters were his symbol of hope and his fantasy at home. Him burning those letters is him fully committing to the war, which causes him to lose hope. If he were to believe in the war there would be no hope lost because he would know he was fighting for something that he truly undoubtedly believed in. 

Not only did they carry tangible things like watches and letters, but also they carried the horrors from the war. These tangible items are only carried with them when at war; however the horrors and events from the Vietnam will stay with them forever. PTSD is a result of these atrocities and affects many from the Vietnam War since it was so controversial. The quote “Jimmy Cross reminded himself that his obligation was not to be loved, but to lead”(341). Ted Lavender’s death gave Jimmy Cross a new perspective on life changing him forever. He carries the guilt from the accident with him every day reminding him of his duty to be the leader. A lot of soldiers did not believe in what they were fighting for and they had to kill people, basically for no reason in their eyes because of their lack of pride. The killing people is hard enough and the mind is greatly affected by it especially when one cannot make excuses for their actions. The fact that they then have to come home to unsympathetic people who treat them like trash was even more awful. This caused the soldiers to never let go what they experienced in Vietnam. Only they will understand the things they carry every single day of their lives and only they can allow themselves to let it go. 

These soldiers went through the worst and then are expected to assimilate back into everyday life with no problem. The Vietnam War wasn’t like any other war; it was monotonous and very repetitive, especially since the soldiers didn’t want to be there in the first place. The repetitiveness that is used in the style of writing perfectly depicts that of the war. PTSD became very large during the time of the end of the Vietnam War when soldiers came home. They came home to an unwelcoming U.S. and little to no help. This issue started studies like the one in the article “Posttraumatic stress disorder and functioning and quality of life outcomes in nationally representative sample of male Vietnam veterans”. Tim O’Brien himself was in the war and is able to touch on the subject of PTSD through his stories and show real life experiences and information just like the study. The soldiers on his team all carry different things and every soldier is different. They all have one thing in common though; they will never forget the things they carried and the things they still carry. This weight put on their shoulders by the war prevents them from acting like normal citizens and continuing their old everyday lives. There stress never leaves and neither do their memories. 
