COMPARISON AND CONTRAST EXPERIENCES OF IRAQ AND VIETNAM:Thousands of people were killed and many more injured in the Vietnam War, a war that many still live with today the consequences. The Things They Carried, written by William Timothy O'Brien. The story is set in Vietnam, during the war, in the 1960s. First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his unit are in Vietnam serving for the United States. Jimmy is in love with a college student named Martha from home. Martha writes Jimmy many letters about school, rarely mentioning the war. This is the story of a group of soldiers at war and the things they carry. Men carry not only the physical necessities of war, but also the emotional and psychological burden. The unit was tasked with “searching and destroying elaborate tunnel complexes, in the Than Khe area, south of Chu Lai” (O’Brien 100). Almost seconds after the soldier exited the tunnel, the American soldier, Ted Lavender, was shot and killed as he returned to the rest of the unit after relieving himself. Jimmy Cross was in a trans state while the man was in the tunnel, thinking about Martha. The soldiers describe the event as "boom-down" (O'Brien 102), pointing to the way Ted Lavender hit the ground. Jimmy Cross felt terrible about Ted's death, thus adding one more thing to bear, the guilt of losing one of his soldiers. While all the soldiers carried things, this story brings awareness to not only the physical aspect of war, but also the emotional one. equally. This means that both PTSD and physical disabilities are issues that many soldiers face when they return home from war. The mental effects on veterans can vary from person to person. Events l...... middle of paper ...... unable to serve their country and fight in the war in Afghanistan. Even though many people are against the war, there are many citizens who support and appreciate the soldiers who fight for America. However, it appears that Iraq/ Afghanistan veterans are receiving more support for their time spent, compared to those who served in Vietnam. CONCLUSION: To conclude, both Vietnam and the war against Afghanistan have their similarities. In both cases, there are people who do not support either war for various reasons. In both Vietnam and Afghanistan, veterans generally suffer the same consequences of war. Some remain physically injured for life, others may be emotionally and psychologically disturbed. There are many organizations created to help veterans get the help they need to readjust to a normal civilian lifestyle.