On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society *(ePub)
The revised and updated edition of Lt. Col. Dave Grossman's modern classic about the psychology of combat, hailed by the Washington Post as "an illuminating account of how soldiers learn to kill and how they live with the experiences of having killed." In World War II, only 15 to 20 percent of combat infantry were willing to fire their rifles. In Korea, about 50 percent. In Vietnam, the figure rose to more than 90 percent. The good news is that most soldiers are loath to kill. But armies have developed sophisticated ways sophisticated ways of overcoming that instinctive aversion. The psychological cost for soldiers, as evidenced by the increase in post-traumatic stress, is devastating. This landmark study brilliantly illuminates the techniques the military uses to help soldiers kill and raises vital questions about the implications of escalating violence in our society. "Powerfully argued...Full of arresting observations and insights." —New York Times Read more
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Why Must Read On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society?
In 1969 I enlisted to do my Patriotic Duty, and chose to be an MP while performing that duty. I was in Vietnam (25th Inf Div for the first 14 months) from January 1970 to March 1972. After the first few months I surely had a monster case of PTSD because that was about when everything began to seem “normal”, but there wasn’t a term for it back then. When I came back from Vietnam my enlistment was up. I got off the plane (Flying Tiger airline), received a meal involving a very tough steak, and was essentially told to “go home and be normal”. My brother, now a retired Marine, had done his tour in Vietnam. I got a job where he worked (he later re-enlisted and completed his 20 for retirement). Several other employees were also Vietnam vets but we never talked about it. My job involved hard labor and was just what I needed because I really wasn’t fit for polite society for the first year. After a year and a half I applied at several local law enforcement agencies and was hired by one with Civil Service. While working full time I also went back to college and got my degree in Criminal Justice. The image of the Vietnam Vet back then was of a deranged person who climbed onto a rooftop and started shooting people. I didn’t discuss Vietnam, or my recurring “Vietnam Dream”, with anybody. I needed the job, I liked the job, and I didn’t want people to think that I was crazy. Frankly, I wasn’t totally sure that I wasn’t, at least to some degree. After about twenty years on the dept, and I was a Lt. by then, I was assigned to attend a seminar on Deadly Force and Pursuit Policies. One of the instructors was a Psychologist who covered the symptoms of PTSD. I suddenly realized that after my return from Vietnam I had fit the profile perfectly. After retirement I was a Federal Courthouse Security Officer for eleven years. Another CSO had a copy of “On Killing” by Lt. Col. David Grossman and I read it, several times. Since then I have purchased my own copy, twice. I think that Grossman got it about 90+% right. I am not going to pick the book apart because, as Jesus warned, “while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them”. Also, I could be in error about that other 10%. Every time I read the book I learn something new, or relearn something I had forgotten. I recommend this book most highly to every combat veteran and law enforcement officer!
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