For many of the men and women of our armed forces the war itself is only half the battle — the other half hits once they return safely home. It’s the battle that is fought not for glory, but for life itself. And it’s a story that goes mostly untold.
“This Is War” offers an “unfiltered look” at those stories, detailed by the American veterans who have faced unfathomable struggles both abroad and back home. The new Wondery podcast is only three episodes in, but host Tony Russo has already realized how important it is for veterans to tell these stories.
“I think it’s helpful for them to get a chance to just be like a regular person just telling their story,” Russo told The Daily Caller. “What’s been clearer to me now than it was ever before is that if you go and you are surrounded by violence for so long, you don’t have to be diagnosed with PTSD to have to make an adjustment.”
(Photo credit: This Is War podcast)
Whether veterans are diagnosed or not after returning home, they all struggle with the transition back to civilian life because the feeling of being engaged in war isn’t something that just fades away, Russo explains.
“I’ve spoken with lots of guys, whose stories we haven’t told yet, maybe stories we won’t ever tell, who don’t have severe PTSD, or don’t really have what would be considered PTSD at all but they still have this–once you’re sure you’re gonna die, that feeling doesn’t go away, you know, even when you’re back home and safe,” Russo says.
In one episode Russo talked to a guy who suffers from a non-debilitating case of PTSD, but still experiences an “overwhelming anxiety” from “knowing you’re going to die and then not dying.” In another episode he spoke to a veteran who returned home years ago, but still looks for IEDs when he drives down the street thinking, “what do I have to do to stay safe? What do I have to do to keep the people around me safe.”
“It’s just something that doesn’t go away,” Russo says, “whether you’re severely traumatized or just involved in that much violence for that long a period of time.”
The podcast host hopes that “This Is War” will present a “rounder picture” than just a glimpse at the military, but “enlisted life more broadly, or patriotism more broadly, or bravery more broadly.”
“This Is War” has already released three episodes available to listen to on thisiswar.com, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. A new episode will be released every other week.