When soldiers returned home from the Vietnam War, often times they were isolated and struggled with their trauma alone.

Fr. Joah Ellis of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Minneapolis, noted that while this happened in the 1960s, there could be parallels to that situation today.

Ellis brings this forward as he is reading "The Twins Platoon," a book about Marines enlisting, training, being deployed to Vietnam, their time in Vietnam, and returning home. The author of the book relives real stories of the Marines who fought during the war and what it was like for them when they finally returned to the U.S. 

Ellis reflected on the book in the church's Sept. 13 bulletin. Many of those soldiers who returned were treated with suspicion during a time of anti-war riots and protests— and that was at the best of times. When worse came to worst, those Marines were treated with hostility by their friends and families. 

This is what drove them to struggle with their trauma in isolation. 

"Many of you know what I am talking about from experience; to be fair, I do not," Ellis said in the bulletin. "I’m basing this description on the experience of those Marines, including the author himself, who pulls back the curtain and gives us a chance to see inside their minds and hearts. 

"But I can’t help but wonder if there are parallels in our own time. There can be a deep divide on a whole range of matters: the best way to address the [COVID-19] pandemic, how to root out racism, which politicians our country needs. And the fact of the matter is that we are all wounded in some way— by fear, if nothing else. I wonder how many times our deeply held beliefs keep us from seeing the pain others carry; and worse, if it contributes to it and their isolation"

There can be things to learn from looking back at that time in history by comparing it to the present. 

History shows us first and foremost that just as Americans made it through the Vietnam War and the anti-war protests in the 1960s, we will make it through this pandemic today. But it also teaches that although someone may have different beliefs from you, they should be allowed to explain their beliefs. 

"That can be difficult and even painful," Ellis said in the bulletin. "But if the experience of those Vietnam vets is any indication, far worse is the isolation that leads to thinking that others don’t care or understand."