Ruth Johnson

Knowing when to Walk Away: Unheard Cries from Vietnam Vets and Families Ruth Johnson

This story is dedicated to all of the "battered wives" throughout the world. I would like to plead with them to seek help and assistance. This is the story of my life, spent with an American soldier before and after the war in Vietnam. Though the events took place many years ago, I feel that this story should be shared with today's families and soldiers, so that they might not make the same mistakes our family made. There is a wall in Washington, DC inscribed with the names of soldiers who lost their lives in the war. This country also recognizes the POWs, MIAs those wounded in action. However, no one seems to recognize, or mention, those damaged mentally and emotionally by the war. For many of these soldiers, the conflict is still raging - in their minds, in their homes and in their relationship with loved ones. America is once again at war, and many soldiers -- men and women -- are coming home severely disturbed, mentally and emotionally, and are not getting the help they need. My family still feels the pain -- decades later -- caused when my husband, and the father of my children, returned home physically, but not mentally or emotionally. The battery and assault I suffered as a result should have been addressed, and could have been prevented, by the army. Instead, my pleas were overlooked. Mine was not the only family affected -- I witnessed many more families broken up as a result of the effects of the war on our soldiers. I feel that we, as Americans, need to put more of an emphasis on the welfare of our soldiers and their families -- those who served in past wars, soldiers presently serving and participants in future conflicts. To this day, I am overwhelmed with sadness and sympathy for the families of those Vietnam vets who returned emotionally broken and mentally injured. I walked away to save my life and the lives of my children after 10 years of abuse, giving up all of the years I spent with my soldier. My husband and my family did not deserve this outcome. Pl