ABSTRACT
It’s difficult to describe what I’m feeling now as I prepare to go to the States on leave. I’ve had to suppress so much of what I feel for so long, and now that I know I’m safe, it’s coming out. I didn’t used to believe in delayed stress, but I do now. I’ve been afraid to log much of what I’ve seen until now. The pigs I saw eating roast persons. The body parts on trees. The look on the faces of the wounded before they died. The smell of death. The graves of the executed soldiers. The amputees. The sick children. The intense fear. The lack of sleep. The ground shaking during the massive artillery strikes. The terrible thunder of the B40s (rocket propelled grenades). The constant threat of imminent attack. The fear of driving in mined areas. The booby traps. The sound that rifle fire makes when it passes close enough to hear its whoosh. Not knowing if I would hold my wife, kids, and Mom again one more time.
