Finding Meaning in Trauma and Rage - Kendal Chang

In class, we heard from Bob, a marine veteran. He shared his personal experience while fighting in the Vietnam War. His story really stuck with me when he talked about being ambushed in Vietnam and how it changed his life. He shared how he had to kill innocent civilians while fighting, and that was extremely difficult for him to deal with. When he returned home, he struggled with suicidal thoughts and felt things were falling apart. He shared the sad fact that 22 veterans die each day by suicide. Bob wanted to bring awareness to veterans, so he showed us the trailer of the documentary he is publishing about his story.

One thing that stood out to me was how he explained the role of anger. He said anger is often the main cause of a nervous breakdown, but in war, you need to be angry and full of rage in order to fight. This rage helped him survive in combat, but it also made life after the war difficult. People would tell him to “just get over it”, but the pain does not just go away. This story made me reflect on the ways that we carry trauma and anger in life. Sometimes, the challenge is not just surviving the hard moments, but figuring out how to use those challenges to make meaning. It is important to redirect the rage into something positive and find a mission that is bigger than yourself. When we are able to do that, we can find meaning. I wonder how we know when we have successfully redirected anger into something positive. Bob’s story made me realize that some of the hardest battles can happen after the war. The process of finding meaning after can be just as challenging as the battles.