Dear Editor,
[RE – LETTER: Langley man impacted by veteran father at war with himself for decades, Nov. 11, langleyadvancetimes.com]
Regarding the letter about war impacts, I’ve tried to contact [its author] Eli Bryan Nelson, without success.
Until very recently, emotional upheaval caused by extreme situations, like participation in warfare, were not considered as a mental disorder.
Eli’s father, who returned from the Second World War severely disturbed, with a changed personality, was probably not uncommon then.
I was born in London, U.K. in 1937 and ahve some memories of the Second World War, evacuations, and life in foster homes.
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My step-father, a Polish cavalry officer, charged German tanks on horseback, brandishing a sabre.
In the Polish and British Royal Artillery, he was awarded many medals for bravery, including the highest Polish medal the “Virtuti Militari.”
He was a seriously disturbed survivor of the war, showing symptoms similar to Eli’s father.
It is gratifying to see that this largely forgottten trauma experienced by wartime participants is remembered by the Langley Advance Times.
I want to support Eli Bryan Nelson’s statment on his war-inflicted disability.
Jeremy Greenfield, Langley
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