Mental health in war

time and afterwards is something to which we do not give nearly enough attention. 

The first time I went to England I went by sea. I did not intend to go by sea. I am not a good traveller and I was miserably seasick for far too much of the journey to enjoy it. Any chance to land on dry ground for a moment was something I accepted with relief. 

When the ship docked in Rotterdam we were told we had about three hours to see a little of the city. Several of my fellow passengers hired a taxi and, taking me with them, asked the driver to give them a guided tour. 

Like many other Dutch he spoke very good English. He agreed and told us about what it would cost.

"But first we will go somewhere near. I will start the meter after that." He took us to a deserted piece of land. There had obviously been a building or buildings on it. It was overgrown.

"This," he told us, "was the Germans. We do not forget."

I have not forgotten that. It was a long time after the war I was shown that. It is much further away in time now. 

For the rest of our short time there he was a very pleasant and very informative driver. We more than "got our money's worth" but I wonder whether my fellow passengers remember that incident. The place obviously meant a great deal to our driver.

There are people I know who pass our city's "war memorial" every day. It is there on the north terrace of the city. I wonder if they look at it every day. Are they aware of it? I doubt it. It is much more likely that it only comes to their notice when they plant the crosses for occasions like Anzac Day or Remembrance Day. Even then do they think about what those crosses really represent - lives lost. Do they consider all the wounded and how their lives have changed forever - and how the lives of their families have changed forever?

My godfather is a returned naval officer. He was injured during WWII. His hearing has never been the same. He has worn a corset ever since because of the damage to his back. On the surface he appears stoical but there have been times when the combination of physical and mental damage have almost overwhelmed him. He knows people who have been overwhelmed. They took their own lives because they could no longer bear the physical and mental pain. The same has occurred since then in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East and Afghanistan. 

I think of all this and I think of what is going on in the Ukraine right now. I think of the soldiers, many of them untrained volunteers, fighting to try and preserve "their" country. I think of the others who have stayed behind such as the far distant colleague who works in an orphanage - who has stayed because the children have nowhere to go. No, they aren't safe. Even if they survive they will have ongoing mental and physical issues. 

War doesn't stop when the fighting stops. It goes on for years. We need to remember that.