Soldier from the War Returning

One of our great national myths surrounds the men and women who fought in World War II. The Greatest Generation, we're told, fought heroically, then returned to America happy, healthy and well-adjusted. They quickly and cheerfully went on with rebuilding their lives. Here, historian Thomas Childers shatters that myth. He interweaves the intimate story of three families--including his own--with a decade's worth of research to paint an entirely new picture of the war's aftermath. Drawing on government documents, interviews, oral histories and diaries, he reveals that 10,000 veterans a month were being diagnosed with psycho-neurotic disorder (now known as PTSD). Alcoholism, homelessness, and unemployment were rampant, leading to a skyrocketing divorce rate. Many veterans bounced back, but their struggle has been lost in a wave of nostalgia that threatens to undermine a new generation of returning soldiers. This book is a stark reminder that the price of war is unimaginably high.--From publisher description

Archaeology · Art history · Economic history · Homecoming · Political science · Vietnam War · World War II · Canadian Identity and History · Defense, Military, and Policy Studies · History · 1939-1945 · 20th century · Allen, Willis · Childers, Tom · Combat Disorders · Gold, Michael · Mental Health · Michael Gold · Post-traumatic stress disorder · Psychological aspects · Psychological aspects of World War · Psychology · Social conditions · Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic · Tom Childers · united states · Universidad Sergio Arboleda · Veterans · Willis Allen · World War