Treatment of Vietnam Veterans Tim O'Brien served in the Vietnam War, and his short story "The Things They Carried" presents the effects of the war on its young soldiers. The treatment of veterans after their return also affects them. The Vietnam War was different from other wars because too many soldiers in the United States returned not as heroes but as cruel, evil, drug-addicted men. Public opinion directs its disgust towards the war at the soldiers, as if they were to blame. Veterans also had little support from the government, which removed them from their families to resist the draft. Some men were unable to get the help they needed because symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) didn't appear for up to a year. Instead, they received hostility, rejection, and judgment from society, which left them feeling isolated, frustrated, and angry. . Soldiers relied on drugs and alcohol to relieve stress and forget the horrors of the battlefield. Word spread across the states that soldiers were using drugs, and the military acted quickly to crack down on drug use. After banning marijuana, soldiers used heroin and favored it. The drugs used were easily available but were more difficult to obtain once they returned to the United States. Some veterans have been able to stop using alcohol and drugs because it has started to affect their marriages and relationships. Veterans had difficulty finding work after the war. Employers viewed veterans' service in the Vietnam War as evidence of drug addiction and refused to hire them. The waste only made the soldiers' struggle to return to normal life even more difficult and encouraged their use of alcohol and drugs. These harmful habits were their way of dealing with society's hatred and rejection, while still helping them forget their experiences in Vietnam. This made it easy for the government to ignore rising cases of PTSD among Vietnam veterans. It would have been helpful to veterans to have a support group of other Vietnam veterans where they could talk to others about their experiences in a sympathetic environment. Society's lack of understanding leads veterans to not talk about their experiences and keep their problems to themselves. How soldiers returned home is another factor in high cases of PTSD. Long ship journeys took soldiers back to past wars, while Vietnam soldiers flew home. The time difference of travel is vital to their emotions and mental well-being. The long boat ride home gives the soldiers time to talk to each other about their experiences and feelings with someone who understands. The Vietnam soldiers didn't have a chance to talk to anyone during their quick plane ride