My audio will be centered on the story of my grandmother’s brother, Michael Leyva. Historically the United States Selective Service war held four different drafts for the Vietnam was. My grandmother’s brother was one of the selected men. It was an abrupt and uneasy departure. Michael’s absence greatly affected the family dynamic of the Leyva family. Michael was the second to the eldest son who as my grandmother claims held the family together. He was full of positivity and undying helpfulness. He was the perfect big brother says my grandmother. However, when Michael returned from the war there were noticeable differences. He was not the same Michael.
The Vietnam War was a widely televised war, it was as easy as turning on the television, and then you could “sit back and enjoy”. My grandmother was quite familiar with the accessible war footage. One evening while watching the news my great grandfather Mike Senior saw something on the television. What laid in front of him was a map showing his very own son’s platoon surrounded by the Vietnamese. Mike Senior called the family to come and see, right in front of their eyes laid their son’s fate. However by some miracle Michael was able to find a way to lead his platoon to safety. In fact he was deemed a hero and awarded with a purple heart. Not long after he was shot in battle and returned home.
My grandmother and her family looked forward to his return home. Although the Michael that returned was different than the Michael that left. This Michael, the war hero, had war scars. While Michael struggled while he tried to settle back in to the civilian life. He would wake up in the middle of the night and salute, awakening my grandmother and her family. Michael unknowingly had Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. During this time there was no diagnosis for such disorder so soldiers were left in the ark while they faced the flashbacks, depression, and fits of anxiety on their own.
The brother that I loved dearly never returned from war says my grandmother. Today, Michael lives alone in his home located in Madera, CA divorced and occasionally sees his children. He regularly sees a psychologist and attends VA group meetings. The war has had nothing less than a heavy toll on his life. However, the support from my grandmother and her family has helped him through every step of the way. He is the personification of war and its affects on the individual. Nevertheless he is a veteran whom my grandmother claims to be her hero.
Humanities Core Course Stories 