More Views On The Purple Heart, PTSD Decision

As I mentioned two weeks ago, the US military has determined that post-combat PTSD does not merit awarding of the Purple Heart, given to service members wounded or killed in action with an enemy. Yesterday, two separate writers responded to the finding.

First up is Simon Maxwell Apter writing in The Nation, who, once he gets done being snotty towards the military (you'd expect that from the lefty magazine), he expresses a sentiment with which I agree:

"A wounded soldier, whether he or she suffers from PTSD or from an RPG-shattered face, is a wounded soldier. By shining honor, and not shame, onto the psychological wounds of victimized soldiers, the armed forces can perhaps begin to update their decidedly old-fashioned vision of sacrifice and give their fighting men and women the credit and respect they deserve."

Yes, wounds are wounds, be they physical or psychological. The trouble is sorting out genuine cases of PTSD from what some would consider fakers, because there is much concern about the holy medal being debased, a legitimte concern.

Writing an op-ed in the New York Times, Tyler E. Boudreau, a former Marine captain and Iraq War veteran, offers a possible solution:

"I urge General Eric Shinseki, the new head of Veterans Affairs and former Army Chief of Staff, to work hand in hand with the Defense Department to bring about some form of official recognition for these wounded veterans. The current stigma of post-traumatic stress would likely prevent many soldiers from wearing the medal initially, but its mere existence would help crystallize in the American — and the American military — consciousness one of the more obscure human costs of war.

"I suggest we call this medal the Black Heart. Certainly the hearts of these soldiers are black, with the terrible things they saw and did on the battlefield. Certainly the country should see these Black Hearts pinned on their chests."

I truly don't know how to sort out this issue, but it seems to me only fair that service members struck down with post-combat PTSD deserve some form of official recognition and an appropriate decoration.