The Vietnam War was perhaps the most traumatizing in American history. Other wars caused more deaths, more destruction, but after these, those soldiers left alive could feel as if they stood up for what was right and accomplished something with their pain. In Vietnam, it is not so. The American government, attempting to stop arrest the rise of communism by keeping freely elected officials out of office, was on the wrong side of justice. The climate and landscape were equally horrible for American soldiers. Flung into unfamiliar jungles, filled with moisture and mosquitoes, troops were at the mercy of local guerilla fighters, who left booby traps littered about the landscape. The same Vietnamese villagers smiling at them during the day could be assaulting their position that night. It hardly seems a luxury, but at least soldiers in the World Wars knew who their enemy was. The above image uses setting, stature, and dress to reveal the pain caused by the war even to those unfamiliar with this historical context.

The setting of the painting is the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. It is a sunny day in what we assume to be a familiar location for an average American man, and the ground is bursting with fantastic flora. Taking in only these stimuli, it should be a pleasant time. However through the wall, is completely different. Gone is the beautiful, metropolitan park, but there are his old pals, the ones who did not make it through the war. With this juxtaposition, the author demonstrates that the inner turmoil of losing friends, and watching them die, never goes away; this is the true cost of war.

Likewise, the stature of the figures in the image emphasize the changes wrought by years of violence. A window to the past, the monument shows soldiers as they are meant to be – strong and tough, showing no emotion besides determination. They gaze steadily out of the rock with shoulders back and head raised, ready to protect their country. In the present day, the lone survivor slumps against the statue in sorrow; he cannot bring himself to look at the visages of those he lost. Instead of appearing determined, he is broken. The image argues that war destroys even perfect soldiers, that the pain did not end when they boarded the plane home.

The man at the memorial is wearing a full suit and carries a briefcase, an indication of success and prosperity during peacetime. However, he has rolled up his sleeves and shed his jacket, mimicking his martial style. In this time of inner strife, he has reverted back to a time when he fit in, when everything seemed to make sense. His disheveled appearance mirrors the effects of the war on his mental state.

In premodern warfare, there were many fewer cases of severe PTSD recorded. In the hawkish climate of the 20th century, more people were subjected to more deadly weaponry than ever before, and even those untouched by bullets and shrapnel paid a price. The painting serves as a reminder that the casualties are not the only ones who need to be remembered.