Facing the mental health & generational trauma aspects of our WWII veterans’ experiences
WARNING! This article talks about suicide.
Before we begin, let me first say that I’m not a therapist. I have studied World War II records for 15 years (especially the death records and the Graves Registration Service) and been a genealogist for almost 30. This has led me down some dark rabbit holes into death, mental health, and suicide. To better understand my own family, particularly my WWII Navy Grandpa, I’ve had to read and study a lot on the topics of schizophrenia, combat fatigue, mental health, how veterans were (not) cared for during and after the war, and many related topics. What I write about is from my own knowledge base, which is expanding daily. There is still so much to learn.
If you have followed me for a while you’ve heard me talk about my Navy grandpa Joseph and his schizophrenia diagnosis before Honorable Discharge from WWII. You’ve heard me say I was living his and his wife Libbie’s WWII trauma in my marriage to my late Dutch husband Johan. Studying my ancestral trauma has led to massive healing for myself and my lineage and this ripples out into the world. Maybe you read my last article, Did the Military Record Lie? In that article I mention a Merchant Marine troopship named the SS John Lykes and questioning the official military narratives. What I didn’t mention was I also have a report from 1944 which describes the death of an Army soldier named Raymond L. Habiak.
Today I want to talk about Raymond, suicide in war, and the impact of what our veterans experienced that led to mental health issues. For some veterans, the military life and combat was too much. And sadly, we may never know the full truth or reasons behind the actions of someone who chose to end their life.
As we’ve studied and heard about WWII, we only hear about those who died in combat. Rarely do we hear about those who died in hospitals or of anything else like DNB (Died Non-Battle) meaning maybe they died of an illness or suicide. In 15 years of reading IDPFs, I’ve never read one about a suicide. Not until yesterday. Today I’m requesting files for many who chose to end their lives while in service.
Everything is connected.
In working on a client book project about a WWII Merchant Mariner, I obtained the Armed Guard narrative reports for the ships he was on, including the SS John Lykes. While reading the 1944 report for this ship, it mentioned the suicide of a man named Raymond L. Habiak. Raymond jumped overboard. After I read that, I wanted to know what happened to him that might have created that energy and action.
I obtained Raymond’s IDPF and it stated he was one of 60 mental patients being brought back to the states from the Pacific Theater. Raymond had been diagnosed with what would be later known as schizophrenia. My grandpa, and many others, were diagnosed with the same thing during and after WWII. It was like a blanket diagnosis for “shell shock” or “combat fatigue” or what we now call PTSD. As I read Raymond’s file I felt like he was brought to me to learn the next level of military records so I could finally get the rest of my grandpa’s ship files and process his experience. Raymond was guiding me to do this deeper work, which I had not yet been ready to face.
The IDPF talks about the circumstances of Raymond’s death and there is testimony from the doctor and those with him when he jumped. While hard to read because the copy is not great, the Surgeon accompanying the 60 mental patients had this to say in Raymond’s IDPF.
Another soldier was with Raymond when he jumped. It’s not clear if he was also a mental patient or just being transported on this vessel. He reported the following.
Raymond’s Family
I have no idea what his family was told. Maybe they were told he fell overboard and not that he jumped. Maybe they said he died on board the ship and they did a burial at sea. There are no telegrams in his IDPF and his service file burned.
My next step will be to research his unit and learn what their experience was in the Pacific Theater. He was part of the 860th Eng. Avn. Bn from March 1943 until his death. He was in and out of the hospital in the area starting June 1944. Whatever sent him over the edge to need treatment happened before June 1944. That unit was stationed on a tiny island in the Pacific called Owi Schouten. I have a lot to learn about that island and what took place.
I did search Ancestry to see if there were any family trees that listed a brother dying in WWII, hoping that would add some context to Raymond’s mental state. I found two other brothers, both of whom lived to old age. Had they been injured in the war? That I do not know. Was the testimony accurate? I have no way to answer that question. I have not reached out to family to see if anyone knows his story. I’m not sure if I want to do that or just explore his life, be guided by him, and make sure people remember his name.
What I do know is that many veterans were diagnosed with mental disorders after extreme and not so extreme combat experiences. From all the military records reading I’ve done, I know that men who had gone through weeks or months of combat and showed signed of combat fatigue, were taken off the line to a rest area to recover. After a “sufficient rest period”, they were put right back into action. Those that had been taken off the line more than twice, were usually then transferred either to a hospital or a Replacement Depot to be sent to a MP unit or other non-combat, “safer” unit to serve out their enlistment.
In the end, no real treatment was provided to these men. Many came home broken, ashamed, guilty, sad, and kept it all hidden. Others were sent to VA Hospitals to live out some or all of the rest of their lives. Some of the veterans who “had it all together” or pretended to, often looked down on these men with broken minds. They saw them as pathetic and not able to cut it. Before you get upset – this was the propaganda at the time, and actually throughout every war. Sadly, some veterans still carry this belief today. Those who were not strong enough in spirit and mind were belittled. Yet we all have our breaking points.
Stay tuned as I learn more about Raymond and his service. It may not explain why his mind shattered but I believe it will provide more context about his war experience. I would say one big unknown is what was his family life like at home prior to the war. I will not know how that impacted his mental state going into the war. Sometimes that is all we can do when we research – provide the information we can discover and ask questions to put out into the universe.
What exists in your family?
Have you explored the depth of the combat experience for your veteran? Do you know what they faced, how long they were on the line, and how that impacted them? Or is it all a big family secret? Do you know how this trauma or the death of your veteran during war, whether by suicide or not, has impacted you? Have you given it any thought?
Do you think we should be telling the stories of those who chose to end their lives during war? Why or why not?
Are you ready to explore your family’s WWI or WWII history?
I am taking new clients and offer free phone consults. Email me at jennifer@ancestralsouls.com to schedule your consult today. Also visit the Ancestral Souls Wisdom School for upcoming classes and ancestral healing sessions on these topics and more.
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