Real-life Rambos Struggle with PTSD
by: jacquiline
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Word Count: 892
Rambo is a term that has become synonymous with
gung-ho action and a persona that has become attached to the identity
of movie action star Sylvester Stallone. Today, “Rambo” is a
word that is used to denote military or individual aggression. It is
also used to refer to a person who is heroic and, at the same, time
capable of perpetrating extreme violence.
Taken from the 1982 movie that was originally
entitled First Blood, the film is about the character named John
James Rambo, a member of the elite U.S. Army Green Berets. Deployed
in Vietnam, he fought against the Vietcong and North Vietnamese
soldiers by using guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare strategy.
Based on the novel where the the screenplay was adapted from, Rambo
was caught by North Vietnamese soldiers in November 1971 and was
subjected to inhuman torture and abuse in one of the infamous POW
camps. Together with other American prisoners of war, Rambo suffered
extreme episodes of physical torment in the hands of his captors. He
experienced almost daily beatings, water torture, electrocution, and
other forms of inflicting pain. After six months of “living hell”,
Rambo was able to escape from the POW camp. After a period of
recuperation, he was again re-deployed to Vietnam and was finally
honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1974.
Rambo's
return to civilian life was not easy. The '70s was a period of
student activism that was characterized by the growth of the
so-called peace movement and “flower power.” During that
period, the United States became divided over the issue of the
Vietnam War. Many student protests centered on the claim that the
Vietnam War was an unjust war and that the United States was actually
committing an act of aggression. Many soldiers and veterans like
Rambo, most of whom were only drafted into the war, were subjected to
protest, ridicule, and contempt. Civilian protesters saw men like
Rambo as warmongers and anti-peace. But during that time, now many
were aware of the depression
experienced
by many soldiers who had to fight in Vietnam. They, too, were against
the war but had to fulfill their duty as military servicemen. The
stress
and anxiety of
always being under fire and not knowing if it was already their “last
day” made soldiers in Vietnam oppose the war as much as the
civilian protesters.
Like many Vietnam veterans, Rambo suffered from
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. The novel depicts Rambo as
a person who was deeply struggling with his past experiences in
Vietnam. After losing his job as a mechanic, Rambo became a drifter
and wandered from town to town. In the movie, Rambo got into trouble
after a local sheriff imprisoned him for possession of a jungle
knife. In jail, he was again subjected to torture. The injustice he
suffered under the hands of his captors made his decide to escape.
The police, together with the National Guard, launched a manhunt.
However, Rambo was able to elude and deter the armed troops who were
sent to hunt him. He again used his Green Beret skills to survive
and deter his pursuers. Later in the movie, Rambo attacked the town
center where the cruel sheriff was hiding. To avert the further
escalation of violence, Army Colonel Trautman came and persuaded
Rambo to surrender to him. The colonel was Rambo's commanding
officer in Vietnam.
Like
the movie and the character of Rambo, thousands of Vietnam veterans
suffered from PTSD. Many fell on a path to self-destruction
by getting hooked on drugs and
committing violent acts. Others were not able to manage the guilt,
frustration, anger, and rage they felt after completing their tours
of duty in Vietnam. Many veterans were diagnosed with PTSD and other
psychosis.
While
the movie did not show that Rambo received professional help for his
struggle with PTSD, in real life, many war veterans had to receive
psychological or psychiatric treatment. These veterans were made to
take antidepressant
prescriptions in
order for them to manage their symptoms of depression,
guilt, rage, and other self-destructive emotions and behavior. For
many war veterans, getting through a day with some semblance of
normalcy required the use of anti-anxiety
medication. Their
treatment was also complemented by counseling,
a process that helped them vent out their anger, frustrations, and
fears.
Unlike the movie, real-life soldiers are not
invincible Rambos who can go through life without seeking
professional help in dealing with the war-time experiences, emotional
struggles, and psychological burdens.
Another installment of the Rambo movie series
will be shown in 2008. It remains to be seen whether the issue of
PTSD would be made a central issue in the movie since it is now a
highly relevant matter. Today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan
are producing more and more soldiers who, like Rambo, have to fight
and win their own internal battles.
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