Operation Homecoming Analysis

Review of Operation Homecoming- Writing the Wartime Experience.

            The documentary by Richard E. Robbins, Operation Homecoming-Writing the Wartime Experience was moving and inspirational. Tim O’Brien makes an opening statement during the documentary that I found fascinating which was “Some things you should not heal from”, so that made me wonder does the process of writing not so much make what they went through easier to deal for them but more so a way of preserving the memory for future generations.

            Besides the inability to heal from their experiences Tim O’Brien also describes how some words are just not sufficient enough for what they go through. The guilt of shooting the enemy, shooting the innocent are all feelings of emotion common with war so the soldiers have little choice to deal with it during times of battle so they write or burry it deep inside their mind hoping they never have to face it again.

            One story that I found particularly moving was that of Ed Hrivnak of the Air Force his story “War on T.V is Antiseptic”, delved into the medivac missions he undertook. He would pick up the wounded marines and during the flight while he did his best to band-aid their wounds they would confide in him about their fears and he would become more than a medic but a lifeline in which he felt obligated to help them and listen to them.

            From using watching the documentary and reading Sean Huze’s play and reading Tim O’Brien’s book I gained a better understanding on just how much turmoil and psychological damage these soldiers go through., like in a statement from one soldier in Operation Homecoming,” How will tomorrow come if today never ends.” A issue that both this documentary covered and Tim O’Brien’s stories discussed is that America has all but forgotten there is a war going on, TV does not show more than a couple of minutes a day and they do not show the psychological toil that it takes on our soldiers. As a student of psychology myself I realize from reading these stories that human emotions and feelings are the same when in times of war and no matter if it is the Vietnam War or Desert Storm the men who serve will go through and experience similar feelings of loss and pain, it will effect them and it is supposed to.

            No matter the war the soldiers have been trained for one thing, action. They may dread it but they need it so they don’t face the emotions they will feel for being away from home alone in the terrible conditions, so if they are not fighting they can write as a therapeutic release for emotions, as one solider described in the documentary, “I may not be a very good solider, but I may be a good witness.” So thanks to these soldiers and their writing us as a generation along with our future generations we can understand and appreciate just what they went through and at what psychological cost the war came with.

                                                Work Cited

           

            Robbins, Richard E. Operation Homecoming; Writing the Wartime Experience. The Documentary Group.2007.Media