You never get used to seeing your buddies killed or wounded, nor do you ever get over the urge to be around comrades who survived in combat like you did, says H.T. Maclin, 87, senior chaplain for the Atlanta World War II Roundtable.
Maintaining bonds with men and women who went through what you did is good for the soul, and probably for mental and physical health as well, says Maclin, who became a missionary after the war.
His intuition jibes with a recent study by UCLA researchers, who concluded that the benefits of wartime camaraderie extend far beyond the battlefield. Their research on the health and lifespans of 35,000 Union army veterans suggests shared experiences and mutual empathy might stave off cardiovascular problems for decades.
Maclin, who as a sailor on the USS Anzio survived kamikaze attacks off Iwo Jima and Okinawa, says he “and the other fellows here” at the Petite Auberge restaurant in Toco Hills “all like to be around fellow veterans. We can identify and empathize with each other whether we were sailors, soldiers or Marines.”
He opened a recent meeting of the 200-plus member group with a prayer, and his daughter, Susan Maclin, who was visiting from Houston, says her father reaps psychological rewards from being around others who shared his war.
Such groups exist for Korean, Vietnam and now veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Though most may not know why they join vets’ groups, there’s little doubt why they do, or that it’s beneficial, says Dr. Richard Winer, a Roswell psychiatrist who has counseled many veterans.
“There is little doubt that camaraderie has a protective feature to it whether we look at the biological or psychological aspects,” Winer says. “In battlefield combat, you are part of a team and in this situation it really can be life or death, day in and day out. Having been through this experience together, those men probably recognize on some level that nobody else would know exactly what they went through and that might help bring them back together even years later.”
The feeling of immortality many young warriors have fades as decades pass and comrades keep falling.
The researchers found that “camaraderie provides a protective effect that endures” and that this “emotional armor” seems to reduce stress-related illnesses.
Bob McCubbins, 82, president of the Atlanta chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association, has been a member for years because “you know you’re there with friends. We’re all comrades. We have shared experiences, and that’s why we keep coming back and look forward to our meetings.”
McCubbins, who was a sergeant in Korea but retired as a major, says “rank doesn’t matter” as years pass. “We share our memories, and it makes us feel good.”
Tom Yearian, 66, president of the Atlanta Vietnam Veterans Business Association, says “going to meetings and associating with guys who experienced similar things brings you together.”
Yearian, of Johns Creek, says the meetings are “therapeutic,” like being around lifelong friends, even in a group with 250 active members.
“There’s a bond,” he says. “It’s like trying to explain love.”
About the Author
