Work deeply affected Hood suspect, uncle says

[unhappycamper]

Work deeply affected Hood suspect, uncle says
By Dalia Nammari - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Nov 7, 2009 13:35:30 EST

EL-BIREH, West Bank — A Palestinian uncle of the Fort Hood shooting suspect said Saturday that his nephew loved America and wanted to serve his country, but his work as a military psychiatrist drove him to tears.

The alleged gunman in Thursday’s shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, was wounded and taken into custody after an exchange of gunfire with two police officers. At least 13 people died and more than two dozen were wounded.

His uncle Rafik Hamad, 64, said Saturday that Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was emotionally shaken by his work treating soldiers returning from war zones. Still, he wanted to serve his country because of the opportunities it had given him as an American, Hamad said.

“I think I saw him with tears in his eyes when he was talking about some of patients, when they came overseas from the battlefield,” Hamad said, speaking in halting English. “One has no face, one he have no legs.” Hasan struggled to appear calm and unaffected to his patients, his uncle said.

He said his nephew told him that he did not expect the work to be as stressful as it was and complained that it was too much to bear.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_army_hood_hasan_uncle_110709/

[Ian David]

1. So, he went HAL9000 on them? n/t

[Raspberry]

2. One thing I've never understood . . .

WWII vets must have seen some awful things - as bad as anything in Nam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Literally MILLIONS (pretty much every man of military age)were there, often for 4 years straight, with no way of knowing when their tour of duty would be over. There was a draft, so regardless of how someone felt about that particular war, or killing in general, they were most likely sent to the wars in Europe and the Pacific.

And yet - the vast, vast majority came home, lived their lives, functioned in a society with little knowledge of PTSD. Some (a pretty small percentage, probably) were "shell-shocked," but in most cases, there wasn't the emotional devastation in veterans that we see now.

What is the difference between now and 60 years ago?

[eilen]

3. I think that PTSD was underreported

And there were plenty of veterans homes that kept those that could not adapt back to the world.

Also take into account that many who fought in WW2 had family who fought in WW1. The horrors of war were there. People were coming off a horrible depression-- they were not fighting for the freedom to be comfortable. They were there without the benefit of the self actualization 1970's -- "the right to be me and be happy". Doing one's Duty was a priority for people then. There were many men who were unemployed, many young men with no prospects. That's all I can think of for right now-- the differences between the men and women now and then.

[Raspberry]

4. True that.

I guess I hadn't thought of the cultural differences. Funny. The "greater good" wasn't a phrase anyone would have used back then, but they lived it everyday. Those guys, personally, did a huge favor to the global community, didn't they?

This is something I've been wondering about, ever since the invasion in '01. My daddy was a WWII vet. He had a job--he was a truck driver, probably could have gotten out of the Army when his dad died, leaving his mom alone on the farm with a teenage daughter to support. But, he didn't take that opportunity.

He was in England when he got the news about his father. Said he saw an officer and the chaplain coming down the line, and somehow knew right away what had happened. He said he couldn't react emotionally. It simply wasn't allowed. He respected that authority enough to accept that news stoically.

He went on to fight in Europe. He was at Normandy a few days after D-Day. He saw devastation. Had friends who were wounded and/or killed. Came home wounded himself, but went on to work for 30 some years at a crappy, low-paying job that put a roof over our heads and food on our table. For many years he worked 6-1/2 days per week, with only Sunday afternoons off, and 2 weeks of vacation a year. He never complained about ANYTHING--except my sister and I arguing, if that counts.

After he died, I asked one of my older cousins if Dad came home "different." He said there were times that Dad would get "downright owly," but they all knew why, and eventually he would "come around."

My dad always did what he had to, for the "greater good."