Restoring honor to the enemy

US and Vietnamese veterans meet at Friendship Village near Hanoi
US and Vietnamese veterans meet at Friendship Village near Hanoi

Restoring honor to the enemy is an essential step in recovery from combat PTSD. While other things are obviously needed as well, the veteran’s self-respect never fully recovers so long as he is unable to see the enemy as worthy.

– Jonathan Shay in “Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character”

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