ABSTRACT
Wars disrupt the social fabric of a peaceful society. The political, moral, and economic systems that form the tissues of a healthy nation are altered by the demands and exigencies of war. Military conflict leaves a legacy in the psyche of those warriors who later become known as veterans. And although the precise content, nature, and burden of the legacy varies according to the roles and responsibilities of the combatant, it is generally the case that immersion in the grotesque realities of killing and destruction creates a lasting imprint in memory that profoundly alters an individual’s sense of humaneness and dignity.
