War veterans have been misunderstood and mistreated since the days of the ancient Greeks. Other men tried to steal the wives of soldiers back in ancient Greece, and America’s Vietnam veterans returned and were labeled as “baby killers”. The experience of war and serving in the military changes veterans. The only people who have experienced what they have are other soldiers. They feel like no one understands what they have been through when they return home. Veterans also tend to stay in combat mode even after the war ends, which could lead to violent behavior at home. War veterans are misunderstood when they return home because they never leave combat mode and people do not understand their war experiences.
The book the Odyssey is the story
This research article explains the main reasons why veterans have a hard time adjusting back to everyday life. Veterans are used to the structure and the family atmosphere of military life. Ahern observed that “the career Reservist who gave soldiers concrete and simple tasks in stressful situations was providing structure as a way to take care of his soldiers.”(Ahern pg.5). Soldiers are used to taking orders and not having to make tough decisions, but they have to do that when they return home from the military. The soldiers also grow close together and treat each other like family during their service which, consequently, makes it hard to leave them. Veterans feel isolated when they return home because their friends and family have not experienced combat like they had. One veteran who was interviewed claimed that “I can tell stories all night long and [my family] probably won’t really grasp what’s going on”(Ahern pg.5). Most veterans feel that no one can truly understand what they went through in war without being in war. Nevertheless, they feel disconnected from their friends and family. This research article explains the challenges that a veteran faces when returning to civilian