'I believed in the commandment 'thou shalt not kill'

Larry Rupp
Age: 61
Hometown: Medford
Occupation: retired state police officer
Military history: Army, 25th Infantry Division, captain, wounded Jan. 7, Jan. 9 and May 17, 1969, in Vietnam; awarded two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts

'I believed in the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' '
When Larry Rupp watches news coverage of the Iraq war, it triggers thoughts of another conflict.

By Paul Fattig
Mail Tribune
December 24, 2007

When Larry Rupp watches news coverage of the Iraq war, it triggers thoughts of another conflict.

Some are good memories of the late 1960s, back when he was a young soldier leading a platoon in the jungles and rice paddies in what was South Vietnam.


Others are painful reminders of dying friends, of bone-chilling fear, of killing to live.

"It's bothered me more since Iraq than it ever bothered me prior to that war," he says of post-traumatic stress disorder. "We weren't seeing the news on TV like my wife was seeing in the '60s. We were there.

"Now I'm seeing what my wife and other people saw in the '60s," he says. "When you start seeing real-life images of what's going on, seeing these soldiers put on litters, it's tough. It brings back old memories."

Nearly 20 percent of Vietnam veterans suffer from PTSD, according to a 2006 study published in the journal Science. An anxiety disorder brought on by trauma, its symptoms include aggressiveness, alcohol and drug abuse, emotional numbness, irritability, nightmares, problems with employment and relationships, sleeplessness and violence. PTSD can start soon after a traumatic event or surface years later.

Rupp, 61, of Medford, a retired Oregon State Police detective, is a highly decorated Army infantry officer who survived battlefield wounds, both physical and psychological.

While the physical wounds were patched up by quick-reacting medics and military hospital personnel, the PTSD, reignited by news coverage of Iraq and Afghanistan, proved more difficult to cure.

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'I believed in the commandment 'thou shalt not kill' is what he and a lot of other veterans believe in their hearts. Yet even in the Bible, there were many times when combat killings were justified. Even then the Bible also addressed the issues of dealing with what the soul has little tolerance of. Ancient Hebrews would "cleanse" themselves before returning home. Historians throughout the world have recorded other cultures processing the warriors back into society. Native American Indians still practice cleansing and it has not changed in centuries.

This is also one of the reasons I do support clergy participating in the healing of our warriors. They do not suffer just from the trauma they were exposed to, but the traumas they participated in. Our soldiers are necessary for defense and in every civilization, they were necessary, as they will be in every generation to come. It would be a wonderful world to live in peace with all nations and have no need for them at all, but reality proves this has never been the case. They participate in committing trauma on others, blowing up bombs that blow up people and pulling the trigger that sends the killing bullet. They must deal with this. While some move past it and find some kind of peace with it, others feel it more deeply. They need help to heal their soul as well a ease their minds.

What I do not agree with is the evangelists in the military now finding it part of their mission to covert those seeking spiritual healing as part of their "mission" instead of taking care of the spiritual needs as they should without pushing their own branch of it. The military chaplains are not serving the soldier by this practice.

The other part of this should prove once and for all that just because they have PTSD they are not useless.
Larry Rupp was highly decorated during his service in Vietnam and went on to work in law enforcement while clearly dealing with PTSD. He was functioning while wounded. As with all wounds, there are many different degrees of how deep the wound changes other aspects of their lives. It also shows that to tell veterans with PTSD they cannot have a gun, causes more problems for the ones who can function while wounded.

There are many men and women working productively in jobs where they need to have and use firearms. There are also many who have used these weapons on themselves. I don't know what the answer is. If a firearm is not available, they will commit suicide by other means, but their number one choice is death by gun. Many believe this new law will be a hindrance in veterans seeking treatment for PTSD if they know it could jeopardize their job. Rupp is a clear example of them being able to carry out their duties while wounded.

I've been in contact with family members who have had their sons commit suicide with guns. They are sure if the gun was not there, their son would still be here. Others deal with the suicide of sons who hung themselves, took a bottle of pills, crashed their cars, jumped to their death, and chose suicide by cop. The only sure way to save their lives is to treat them.

I had an emailer send a comment about a PTSD veteran and murder suicide. Again it happened with a gun. Yet the emailer ignored other reports of PTSD veterans who committed murder/suicides by other means. They choose whatever they can to do what they feel compelled to do. Again, the only sure way to prevent any of this is to stop making combat veterans or to treat the wounded as we would other wounds.


Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Namguardianangel.blogspot.com
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington