John Huston's Documentary on Psychological Trauma of WW2 Vets

[AmateisGal]

This documentary, made in 1946, was banned by the U.S. Army and was not released until 1980. However, the film itself was so badly damaged that it was nearly impossible to watch. Thanks to the efforts of the National Archives, it's been fully restored and you can watch it free at this link.

http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/let-there-be-light-1946

I'm in the middle of watching it now, and it's absolutely heartbreaking.

I think there's a common misconception that WW2 veterans returned and resumed with their normal lives with nary a problem. While that was true for some, far more had a much tougher road to slog. There have recently been some great studies done on this subject, including Thomas Childers' Soldier from the War Returning that address this problem. This film, if it had been allowed to be released, probably would have gone a long way toward helping out countless numbers of vets and their families through this difficult time. I suspect, however, that the U.S. Army didn't want the truth of the psychological affects of the war on soldiers to be known to the general public, and in so doing, they put the vets on a heroic pedestal that while, yes, they deserved, also made it harder for them to admit to the troubles they faced after they returned.

 

[Feraud]

Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to see this restored version.

 

[AmateisGal]

I just finished watching it - it is very, very good.

 

[hatophile]

I'm reading "Unbroken", about a WWII bombardier whose plane went down in the Pacific. The story goes into the significant amount of deaths and trauma that resulted just from training WWII air crews, in addition to those attributed to combat. It's amazing anyone could go through that and not be hugely affected.

 

[AmateisGal]

Unbroken is an absolutely wonderful book - one of the best I've ever read.

 

[hatophile]

Unbroken is an absolutely wonderful book - one of the best I've ever read.

I'm really enjoying it, but I get stressed reading what those guys are experiencing.

 

[Feraud]

I also read Unbroken. An almost unbelievable account of POW experience.

 

[Gingerella72]

PBS is currently rebroadcasting Ken Burn's The War, which neither my husband or I have seen before. The link you posted will be a great companion piece to watch a long with it.

 

[AmateisGal]

I bought The War on Amazon for something like $30 a few years ago, and have the companion book to it, as well. It's very well done. Enjoy!

 

[Lincsong]

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I'll repeat this story. About 15 years ago I sold a car to a couple and the husband was a tank driver under Patton. He drove from Normandy all the way into Germany. After the War he got a job as a truck driver and was at a stop light in West Oakland near the Jorgenson Steel Mill. There was work being done and a pile driver was in the background. He passed out and didn't wake up for a week. He didn't know where he was, how he got there. He just remembered hearing that pile driver and blacked out.

There was another man, whom I knew from Mass. He was a quiet, mild manner gentleman. I sold him a homeowners policy when I was tcarying to get into that business. When he died I read in his obituary that he fought on Guadalcanal. When I learned that I couldn't help but think about what his personality was pre-War and how the effects of battle changed him.

 

[AmateisGal]

I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I'll repeat this story. About 15 years ago I sold a car to a couple and the husband was a tank driver under Patton. He drove from Normandy all the way into Germany. After the War he got a job as a truck driver and was at a stop light in West Oakland near the Jorgenson Steel Mill. There was work being done and a pile driver was in the background. He passed out and didn't wake up for a week. He didn't know where he was, how he got there. He just remembered hearing that pile driver and blacked out.

There was another man, whom I knew from Mass. He was a quiet, mild manner gentleman. I sold him a homeowners policy when I was tcarying to get into that business. When he died I read in his obituary that he fought on Guadalcanal. When I learned that I couldn't help but think about what his personality was pre-War and how the effects of battle changed him.

I'm glad you shared these stories, Lincsong. We all need to work to dispel the pervading belief that these guys were just fine when they returned home from combat and just resumed their normal lives. There were a few lucky ones that this happened to - but I think far more WW2 vets had a lot of emotional problems when they came home.

 

[Angus Forbes]

Not unique to WWII by any means -- a lot of Vietnam Vets have the same kinds of problems, and are seldom thought of as heroes (perhaps they would be more appropriately thought of as victims). WWI was equally horrible, or worse.

 

[Jerry 9]

My Grandfather sailed on the U.S.S. Mississippi from 1942-1946, he participated in Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, & Okinawa among others. He suffered from nightmares until the day he died and only ever talked to me about his experiences. In many ways the war never left him.

Unfortunately PTSD and combat fatigue have been conditions that all soldiers, sailers and marines have suffered from from the beginning of time. To me it has always been a sign of their true humanity.