True to its reputation as America's longest and most tumultuous conflict, the Vietnam War demanded American intervention for two unforgiving decades. As the war progressed, an anti-war movement rose from American soil, its supporters joined by the idea that America's policy in fighting war was morally unjustifiable. The conflict created separation throughout American society, a division that defined the passion of the 1960's. When the last of the American soldiers returned home in 1973, many came from Vietnam with high expectations, anticipating a warm reception from their fellow countrymen. However, at a time when Americans resented their involvement in the war, a patriotic homecoming seemed incongruous and fell short of the soldiers' expectations. Still reeling from the atrocities of war, the soldiers found themselves both physically and emotionally diminished, unable to find the trust they needed to recuperate. The veterans found themselves susceptible to a new enemy, known as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. This psychological disorder, which can affect those who have experienced a traumatic event, such as war, is characterized by nightmares, flashbacks to frightening or disturbing memories, and strong emotional outbursts.
             No stranger to the brutality of the Vietnam war, Tim O'Brien captures with painful realism the emotions experienced by soldiers, the primary sufferers of PTSD, as they struggled to come to terms with both the trauma they had been subjected to during the war
             and the aftermath of military combat. While O'Brien's characters exhibit symptoms of post-
             traumatic stress disorder upon returning from the war, he examines the origins of the disorder through his depiction of their regular military risks and responsibilities when they were stationed in Vietnam. Research suggests that the frequent traumatic occurrences, together with various "coping mechanisms" util...