A
Vietnam Trilogy:Vol. 1 Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress: 1968, 1989, 2000
A
Vietnam Trilogy:
Vol. 1 Veterans and Post Traumatic Stress: 1968, 1989, 2000
by Raymond Monsour Scurfield
Published by (date): Algora Publishing (2004)
ISBN: 0-87586-322-1
Price: $29.95
Tags: Vietnam War/Military Service/History/Veterans/Mental Health
Synopsis
An internationally recognized expert on war and post-traumatic stress
therapy analyzes the Vietnam War s psychological and social impact and
the implications for today s veterans through the lens of his service in
1968 and two return visits in 1989 and 2000.
Through the stories of veterans and the author s own understanding as a
psychiatric social work officer in Vietnam and his extensive post-war
experiences as a mental health professional, A Vietnam Trilogy describes
the impact of war on veterans from a psychiatric, psychological, social
and cultural perspective, both during and decades after the war.
The large numbers of psychiatric casualties from war used to be
attributed to an underlying psychiatric disorder presenting the classic
blame-the-victim scenario. When they were finally classified as what is
now known as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), the path was opened
for more realistic and fruitful healing techniques. A Vietnam Trilogy
describes a care-giver s and numerous veterans perspectives of what
happens to combatants during war, the therapeutic processes fostered by
an innovative Dept. of Veteran Affairs treatment program directed by Dr.
Scurfield, and the pioneering return trips he co-led to peace-time
Vietnam in 1989 and 2000.
This book offers a unique vicarious journey of healing and pathos by
relating the experiences of those who participated in these therapeutic
efforts. For families, care-givers, students and teachers of history,
and others, the book offers a glimpse from the participants view of the
shock, the horrors, the overwhelming stress, and the mindset that were
so damaging to personnel in the war zone, as well as of the
extraordinary courage and strength necessary to survive. Finally, it
offers insight into creative therapeutic approaches and recommendations
for veterans and those who wish to help them recover from the traumas of
war. Volume 1,"A Vietnam Trilogy. Veterans and Post-Traumatic Stress,
1968, 1989 and 2000", describes the healing processes of hundreds of
veterans from Vietnam and earlier wars up until 1990, when the author
co-led a group of veterans on a therapeutic trip back to Vietnam to face
their demons.
The second volume, "Healing Journeys," continues from 1990 to 2000
(including a discussion of the impact of the first Gulf War on veterans
of earlier wars) and a second return trip to Vietnam in 2000, as part of
a university Study Abroad program, to help veterans in their healing
process.
Volume 3, "War Trauma, Lessons Unlearned From Vietnam to Iraq" (Algora,
fall 2006), completes the Trilogy with a consideration of the experience
of prior wars to help people who are now in the military or in the
healing professions, and their families and communities, to deal with
today s realities of combat and its aftermath.
Dr. Raymond Monsour Scurfield is a professor in the School of
Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast.
He is a Vietnam veteran and worked for the Department of Veterans
Affairs for 25 years and has directed PTSD mental health programs in
a number of locations. He is recognized nationally and
internationally for his expertise in PTSD in both combat veterans
and disaster survivors. This expertise comes from his many
years of experience in working with others in the mental health
profession and his own personal experience of being a veteran who
experienced war as a psychiatric social work officer.
By reading the synopsis of each book, one can discover how Dr.
Raymond Monsour Scurfield takes readers on a journey from his first
days in Vietnam until the very present, going back with him on
several trips with other veterans, and then the questions need to be
addressed in how the past has affected the way the veterans of
today’s wars are being treated. Dr. Scurfield shares his
personal journey as well as sharing quotes and experiences from many
other veterans. His personal sharing allows us to see deeply
into his thoughts and how his strategies and innovative therapies
for treating combat veterans can be used in the field of mental
health. These books can open doors for active duty military
members and veterans, as well as offer guidance to their families
and other community members.
Personally, I wondered what impact this series of books would have
on me. I am not a veteran, I have a son who served eight years
in the Marines, but is a non-combat veteran. So…should others
like me take the time to read these books? They are not what I
would call an “easy read” whatsoever, but I would call them an
“essential read,” for all of us have been impacted by war and know
people that are struggling with PTSD issues. For me, having
the input of “other voices” beyond Dr. Raymond Scurfield’s allowed
me to hear the stories from more than one voice and helped me to
“experience” through them, the impact that war had on each and every
one of them. Dr. Scurfield is an expert whose voice is being
heard around the world. Anyone who is experiencing PTSD or knows
someone struggling with PTSD would be wise in reading these books.
They would be a wonderful resource for mental health professionals.
We may not have learned enough from Vietnam, but Dr. Scurfield
brings us the hope that we need for moving into our future.
Review by Joyce M. Gilmour, MWSA Reviewer (August 2009)