Alexandria Roberts

Multi-Genre Research Paper

Introduction
The topic of my project is how Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has impacted the
lives of Vietnam War Veterans. I chose this certain topic because I have always been
interested in the true costs of war. Not simply financial costs but what true effects war
has on the individual. !ein" constantly e#posed to $illin" battle and blood will
undoubtedly ta$e a toll on a person. While researchin" about PTSD I learned about many
different people who suffer from the disease. %f course the lifestyles and cultures differ
from the individuals I studied nonetheless each e#perience their own case of PTSD that
affects their daily life. The first visual I chose to use was a Visual &enre presented with a
poster of different photos surroundin" the topic of PTSD. In the center I displayed the
connection between your brain and the person e#periencin" e#ternally. The second visual
I used was a print media "enre of a police report filed by an officer attac$ed by a man
sufferin" from PTSD. This visual is very personal and helps the audience understand the
true behaviors of people who are dia"nosed with this disorder.
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
'nnotated !iblio"raphy (esource )*
Dao +ames. ,Vietnam Veterans Dischar"ed -nder .loud /ile Suit Sayin" Trauma Was
.ause., The New York Times. The New 0or$ Times 1 Dec. 12*1. Web. 1* 3ay
12*4. 5http677www.nytimes.com712*17*17287us7vietnam9veterans9claimin"9ptsd9
sue9for9better9dischar"es.html:;r<2=.
's a youn" adult +ohn Shepherd +r. enlisted in the 'rmy. >is reasonin"
was he felt the draft would eventually "et him anyway. While in the army his
platoon leader had been assassinated by a sniper while in the midst of helpin"
Shepherd out of a canal. This spar$ed Shepherd?s PTSD. >e be"an actin" erratic
and furthermore simply refused to perform his duties. 'fter Shepherd had been
injured by a bullet wound the 'rmy dischar"ed him under other-than-honorable
conditions also $nown as undesirable discharge. 't the time he was satisfied
with bein" a re"ular citi@en a"ain however his dischar"e cost him his veteran
benefits. The 'rmy !oard of .orrections for 3ilitary (ecords hardly "rants
up"rades to Vietnam veterans. The information I "athered from this newspaper
article helped me understand the treatment of veterans in this country. These
people "ive or even volunteer their lives to fi"ht for this country and actually
have to fi"ht for health9care benefits.
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
'nnotated !iblio"raphy (esource )1
Winerip 3ichael. ,VietnamAs Dama"e /our Decades Bater., The New York Times. The
New 0or$ Times C Sept. 122D. Web. 1* 3ay 12*4.
5http677www.nytimes.com7122D72D72E7fashion72E"enerationb.html:
pa"ewanted<all=.
While in the 3arine unit Philip Van .ott?s was ambushed in Vietnam?s
jun"les and injured his hand severely. >e was hospitali@ed in +apanese and
'merican hospitals for months as his wounded hand healed. 'fter he finished
his commitment to the army he was honorably discharged. Buc$ily for him he
was honorably discharged he immediately was eli"ible for the Veterans
.ompensation and Pension System. Fvery wee$ he attends the Veterans
'dministration Vet .enter where he receives therapy for PTSD in relation with
his service in Vietnam. This treatment was e#tremely necessary in Van .ott?s
circumstance because his behavior was unpredictable and hostile. Without the
treatment his behavior wouldn?t have improved in the sli"htest. This article has
helped me understand that it truly depends how the army chooses to dischar"e
you. It is fully up to their discretion whether your injury or other possible health
issue can be considered of true valor.
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
'nnotated !iblio"raphy (esource )8
&oode Frica. ,When Soldiers Snap., The New York Times. The New 0or$ Times G
Nov. 122D. Web. 1* 3ay 12*4.
5http677www.nytimes.com7122D7**72H7wee$inreview72H"oode.html=.
3ajor Nidal 3ali$ >asan a psychiatrist who shot at do@ens of soldiers at
/ort >ood Te#as. >asan had never been sent to fi"ht but instead was amon" the
ran$in"s of doctors who have seen and e#perienced brea$in" points. The doctors
who have witnessed the fear soldiers can ta$e. >is job was to see$ out ways to
soothe the troop?s physiolo"ical wounds and encoura"e them to $eep fi"htin".
Prior to shootin" down the soldiers >asan was claimed to have said I&od is
&reatJ. Perhaps the man had premeditated his choice of actions or perhaps the
wei"ht of all the people he treated was upon his own shoulders. It could be
possible he had e#perience 1
nd
hand PTSD by havin" been surrounded by
fi"hters who were terribly scared mentally and physically by the Vietnam War.
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
The Thin"s They .arried
The novel The Things They Carried is composed of shorter se"mented stories.
The one I chose to write about is Spea$in" of .oura"e. This particular story is about a
Vietnam War Veteran Norman !ow$er who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress
Syndrome. >e resides in his hometown however everyone has moved away and !ow$er
finds himself with no one to tal$ to. >e reflects on the medals he won in Vietnam and
ima"ines tellin" his father about both these and the medals he did not win. -ltimately
despite the fact that he has no one to share these memories with he finds catharsis in
ima"ined conversations.
Fvery /ourth of +uly !ow$er continuously drives laps around this particular la$e
near his home. While drivin" his vehicle around he becomes mesmeri@ed by memories of
his previous "irlfriend Sally. >e would ima"e how he would do thin"s differently within
their relationship in hindsi"ht. >e would remember certain details of the war that never
Kuite made sense to him. Somethin" in his brain retained selective memories which the
Traumatic Stress Syndrome consistently tri""ered.
The author of the boo$ Tim %?!rien, served in Vietnam as a foot soldier from
*DEH to *DG2. The boo$ is based upon his e#periences as a soldier in the 18rd Infantry
Division 8rd Platoon. %?!rien "rew up in Worthin"ton 3innesota Lwhere some of the
stories in The Things they Carried ta$e placeM. >e received a de"ree in political science
from 3acalester .olle"e and then immediately started military service.
This particular boo$ is probably his most famous wor$s. 't its heart The Things
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
They Carried is about a soldier whoAs tryin" to communicate with non9soldiers. >eAs
tryin" to tell us LciviliansM what he went throu"h and what war did to %?!rien.
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
Case Number: PI 05/04/01/3462
Incident: Aggravated Assault
Reporting Office: Constable Alexandria Roberts Date of Report: 05
May 2014
At about 1040 hours on 5 Ma !014" I recei#ed an incoming po$ice report through
m radio% &he report had been at 'ast 1(
th
street and )a$ina )treet% A ci#i$ian
*itnessing a man at a nearb stop$ight harassing pedestrians made the ca$$%
As I arri#ed at the crime scene" the man appeared de$irious and confused% +e
seemed to be in his $ate ,0-s" perhaps ear$ .0-s% Man peop$e in the intersection
*ere stopped because he continued to *a$/ into the street *ithout discretion% I
*as the first constab$e at the scene% +e *as c$ear$ a pub$ic disturbance and
initia$$" I thought he cou$d be into0icated% Due to a$$ the traffic congestion I had to
par/ m #ehic$e near$ ! b$oc/s a*a on 'ast 11
th
street and )a$ina )treet% As I
*a$/ed c$oser the da1ed man he *as shouting *ords that I cou$dn-t interpret% &he
$onger I *atched the man-s beha#ior he seemed more scared and *orried then
hosti$e% I e#a$uated the chances of an erratic beha#ior from the man and s$o*er
*a$/ed ad2acent to him% &he man ran straight to*ard me" grabs m shou$ders
and orders me to run3and run far a*a% After a sing$e attempt to restrain the
man" *ith one s*ift mo#ement on his part he assau$ted me and bro/e not on$
m right chee/bone but a$so m nose% I firm$ be$ie#e it *asn-t an attac/ at me
persona$$ but the use of restraint on m part *as too much for this traumati1ed
Alexandria Roberts
Multi-Genre Research Paper
man to bear% C$ear$" he suffered from 4&)D and *as ha#ing an episode
coincidenta$$ in the midd$e of traffic%