Unlike the soldiers who returned from WW11 , who were treated as heroes, soldiers who came back from Vietnam and subsequent wars were ignored, at best, by the citizens of their own countries.

Surely this has contributed to their difficulties in readjusting and their mental health.

Whether or not one supports the battles in which they fought, the soldiers were doing what they were asked to do by the Canadian military and the department of National Defence and all Canadians need to get behind them.

Having said that, one also has to consider that with twenty five percent of the population at risk of mental disorders in their lifetime that the military will not be immune.

The biggest take away lesson from these and other stories is that for a first world country, we provide third world mental health services.