"we neglect to see that every veteran has an interior experience of the particular wars he’s fought in. Failing to see this, our society then proceeds to render actual veterans invisible."

Emina Melonic writes in American Greatness,

...we neglect to see that every veteran has an interior experience of the particular wars he’s fought in. Failing to see this, our society then proceeds to render actual veterans invisible.

...War is ambiguous, yet clarifying; eventful, yet painfully boring. Most of all, there is no exit. There is no way out but through it. What most people don’t realize is that once a war is over and some kind of temporary peace begins, for a veteran, the war may still continue. Except now, the dull and listless events tend to blend together with the horrors of war, and this can sometimes stain the humanity of a soldier. The clarity he gains is not so clear. The story has to be told, yet there is always a greater pull to forget it all and move on. For the most part, veterans do move on because that is in many ways, another heroic thing to do.

...Without a doubt (and this is especially true of men), it is difficult to talk about these things. It is difficult, if not impossible, to articulate the gravity of war to those who have not experienced it. When faced with senseless evil, as sometimes occurred in the Vietnam War, we freeze like any normal human being would. Nothing we say wrap it up neatly or explain it once and for all with some grand theory of history, philosophy, or personal experience. You can’t wish away the presence of darkness.

For veterans, this presents an even bigger challenge because it involves the defense of their country. It’s difficult to quantify glory, and yet it can’t be denied next to an act of courage. It opens up the doors for the unlikeliest of soldiers to exhibit valor and paradoxically, out of the darkness to become even fuller human beings. As, in the midst of darkness, so many have saved the lives of fellow soldiers or helped the countless innocents caught in the bloodshed, so too have we seen the greatness that difficult times can call forth in us. And yet, I have heard many veterans say that for all that glory and the greatness it unearths in humanity, it would be far better not to have wars because they have seen what the constantly unfolding events and actions do to one’s soul, even in the moments of great courage.

Society may never be able to see or truly understand the soul of a soldier. After all, it is the aftermath of the war that brings forth existential confusion and even a soldier will have difficulty gaining some clarity in the midst of much of the meaninglessness that happens in war. What is most important is that practical attempts at making veterans’ lives easier have to overlap with these existential concerns. If a veteran cannot find an ongoing sense of purpose in life after war, he will most likely lose a sense of hope as well.

At the very least, we should not make matters even more difficult by ignoring or pitying them. Instead we should try to see the humanity of our veterans and its embodiment in the reality of their experience. We need to remember that they are not just playing a role as “veterans”—they are indeed human beings and fellow citizens, like us. And they have interior lives, even and especially if they are trying to make sense of it all. Their worn faces deserve to be recognized not just as a class but as individuals because in that moment of recognition, however small, they have been brought back into the fold of the community and good has triumphed over evil.

Read more here.