Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for August 13, 2021

The Los Angeles of the ’90’s was far more dangerous than Saigon of the early ’70’s.

I know BD is referring to nightmares from his wartime experiences. I get the feeling he didn’t tell Boopsie what he went through when he returned home.

I wonder if we’re about to see helicopters evacuating people off the roof of the embassy in Kabul.

Dad never spoke about the war, Mum was in the resistance too and filled me in on what went on. Of Dads age cohort only a third survived. :(

This comic is from 1996. Feb. 28, 1997 was when the North Hollywood Bank shootout happened.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout

Good one GT – I see what you did there.

Fight or flight reaction?

I wonder if that would work if I went back to my old high school?

I don’t think he’s talking about the Smokejumper kind of firefight. Not that those can’t be pretty traumatic; read Norman Maclean’s Young Men and Fire.

My dad never said much about his time in Germany, with Patton’s 4th Armored Division. It wasn’t till a year before his death I found out he was among the first GIs into Buchenwald.

What I don’t understand, bear with me please, is I see a few people on street corners begging for money with signs “Vietnam Vet, don’t want NOTHING from government” .. aren’t there programs specifically designed FOR them?

Back in the 90’s we didn’t know about PTSD…at least not by that name.