tom d. friedman wrote:
i can relate to 1's curiosity but it must be approached delicately so as not to piss off or re-surface old bad thoughts. were all human beings with feelings, & while not a veteran i respect their heart & courage.
I think its safe to say most people who are interested in such a topic would have the descretion to ask appropriate questions ?.
I'm not sure how you jump from asking about ones service to "did you ever kill anyone" unless your a shock jock radio announcer, or a newspaper reporter after sensational by-line......
I have spoken to a Luftwaffe veteran who spoke about his experiences over a 2-3 year period to me , but at one incident at a time. One time it might be as complex as " B-17's are hard to shoot down you know", then he said onetime that Hans Marseille was a great bloke to be around. I respected the blokes personal thoughts.
I was told a story onetime by the younger brother of a WW2 Australian servicemen, who tore a petrol generator apart physically in rage because the sound reminded him of the Japanese woodpecker machine gun.
PTSD can be be supressed and brought back by any number of factors as you would know.