Casualties of War and Armor for the Soul
I read The Good Kill: Just War and Moral Injury, by Marc LiVecche on my flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia last week. I then watched We Were Soldiers. I understood the film to be an accurate representation of the impact of war not only to soldiers on both sides of the Vietnam War, but that of their spouses and families. The genocide that took place in Cambodia was naturally at the forefront of my mind. There was no just war for that nation.
My Experiences of the Casualties of War
The casualties of war are both seen and unseen for soldier and civilian, adult and child alike. My introduction to war began in 1975 while making friends with Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees during junior and senior high school. Hearing their stories helped me understand the realities of war and the devastating impact on families.
I moved to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in 1993 while the UN Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC) worked to establish peace, relief and development projects, de-mining efforts, and prepare for elections. After their departure, the warring military factions continued to be problematic. Guns, grenades, M-16’s, and rocket launchers could be purchased at Phsar Thmei for next to nothing. Weapons were everywhere. As NGO workers we agreed to remain unarmed. We adhered to curfews, took safety precautions, and never left the city. I put my young children to bed to the sound of my neighbors shooting their weapons into the dark sky as a warning to not rob or come near during the powerless nights. The most devastating emotional experience was witnessing how clearly traumatized the Cambodian people were after living through the horrors of life and death under Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. It is estimated that 1.5-3 million Cambodians died between 1975-1979.[1] The impact of the regime’s control followed by Vietnamese intervention from 1979-1989 took an additional toll.[2] Everyone we met had a story. Those who lived through those years had to somehow rebuild their lives. Currently, 48.6% of the Cambodian population is under 24-years old.[3] The Cambodian youth of today don’t live with the trauma their parents and grandparents faced, yet generational trauma persists with repercussions for the political, economic, educational, and public health of the Cambodian people.
Moving to Vietnam in 1997, I was confronted with the realities of the “American War.” I witnessed Vietnam veterans returning for a corrective emotional experience. Some came alone, others with humanitarian aid agencies, and as missionaries. I read news stories of the remains of MIA soldiers returned to the US. I observed the 25th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. I visited the site of the Hanoi Hilton where Senator John McCain was imprisoned. I toured Ho Chi Minh’s house along the Saigon River in the city that now bears his name, noting the communist ideology he learned as a young man in France. I watched the dramatic changes following the implementation of the Doi Moi economic reform. Today, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has become one of the most dynamic emerging countries in East Asia.[4]
Now in the US, I live within a 30-mile radius of four military bases. About 15% of our counseling clients are active duty military personnel, veterans, and spouses impacted by their war-time experiences. Though I never saw an active battlefield, these recollections call for lament and healing for those morally, psychologically, and spiritually injured by war.
War is complex. The outcomes mixed and rarely what one imagines. The causalities of war are not just among the dead, they are among the living.[5]
The Book
Marc LiVecche states the goal of his book, “I want to help warfighters and those who care for them to reevaluate false beliefs about what it means to kill in war, to interrogate deeply held principles, and, where necessary, to adapt them, reinterpret them, and thereby grow in wisdom, emotional and spiritual health, and resistance.”[6] He highlights the difference between moral injury which he describes as, “the justified trauma that comes from the guilt of having done something morally wrong” and moral bruising which produces grief at actions of a “lawful killing in war.”[7] His extensive reconstruction of just war ethics lands on an approach that honors the guilt, grief, and shame of the soldier and restores the ideal of the mournful warrior.[8] I found the image of the enemy as neighbor particularly insightful. The soldier who holds this image is mindful that taking a life is a last resort.[9] This perspective seems to help the warrior avoid moral injury and embrace their humanity in efforts to restore peace, justice, and goodness. LiVecche advocates for the moral formation of warfighters before they ever see a battlefield, ethical education to address moral trauma, and communities back home ready to receive them upon return. All of which includes a theological framework that unburdens our returning warriors.[10] An important observation LiVecche makes is that of shame and guilt, noting these are not typically the realm of clinical counseling, but a spiritual matter.[11] This is where churches, communities, families, and peers can play a critical role. As a Christian counselor issues of shame, guilt, and relationship with God are frequently addressed in my work. However, the greatest power may lie in the connections and relationships with others who understand and come alongside the warrior and their families struggling with shame, guilt, grief, loss, and trauma.[12]
LiVecche makes a strong appeal for the need to change the narrative and framework for soldiers. In my view, the need is urgent because this new framework has the potential to impact not only soldiers as they return from war, but their families and generations to come on both sides of any conflict. Our warfighters need the church and Christians to play a significant role in bringing about healing and restoration to those who suffer the casualties of war. They need “armor for their souls.”
[1] “Cambodia,” University of Minnesota, accessed April 2, 2024.
https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/cambodia
[2] “Vietnamese Intervention,” Britannica, accessed April 2, 2024.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cambodia/Vietnamese-intervention
[3] Sheith Khidhir, “What Will Become of Cambodia’s Youth,” The Asean Post, accessed April 3, 2024.
https://theaseanpost.com/article/what-will-become-cambodias-youth
[4] “The World Bank in Vietnam,” accessed April 3, 2024.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/vietnam/overview
[5] I have to wonder what kind of support the warfighters on the opposite sides of wartime conflicts receive? I wonder who attends to their spouses and children who are either left to grieve alone or deal with the PTSD of their loved one? What about the children who witnessed unimaginable atrocities, violence, displacement, and hunger?
[6] Marc LiVecche, The Good Kill: A Just War and Moral Injury. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2021), 6.
[7] Marc LiVecche, The Good Kill, 7
[8] Ibid.,179.
[9] Ibid., 176.
[10] Ibid., 201-202.
[11] Ibid., 195.
[12] Last night, I sat with a Cambodia friend who told me his 12-year experience growing up in a refugee camp on the Thai border during the Khmer Rouge years. His mother made the long journey on foot with her only child to get to safety where he was then raised in the camp hospital witnessing physical mutilation, disease, and death. Today, he is a beautiful soul! God brought healing and restoration, much of which came in the context of relationships and spiritual support.
Note: LiVecche coined the term “armor for their souls” on page 190.
About the Author
Jenny Dooley
Jenny served as a missionary in Southeast Asia for 28 years. She currently resides in Gig Harbor, Washington, where she works as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Spiritual Director in private practice with her husband, Eric. Jenny loves to listen and behold the image of God in others. She enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her family which include 5 amazing adult children, 3 awesome sons-in-law, a beautiful daughter-in-law, and 8 delightful grandchildren.17 responses to “Casualties of War and Armor for the Soul”
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Wow, your personal experiences in Asia add depth and richness to this discussion. I appreciate how you highlight that a change in how the church receives soldiers and veterans promises to have an impact on future generations. Thanks for your post, Jenny!
Hi Kim, Thank you for your kind words. My brain was so stuck on Cambodia that was where I focused. Though I struggled with the difference between genocide and war…the casualties and impact of both are devastating. All I can do is ask, why? It is all so senseless. There is truly much evil in the world, but Cambodia has proven to me over and over again that what the enemy meant to destroy God’s love has restored in abundance. I have heard so many stories of transformation and healing over the years that my heart is truly overwhelmed, even as my heart continues to break over the injustices, suffering, and loss. Cambodia’s brief 100-year history Christianity has seen great turmoil.
Jenny, You commented on my post that you had to overcome a blind spot to recognize how you have been impacted with war. This is incredible to me after reading your post! I am curious how the phrase moral bruising resonated with you as you reflect on your experiences in post-war Cambodia and Vietnam? As an American entering those spaces at the time you were there must have been an incredibly unique and poignant experience. How do you think that has impacted how you engage with your counseling clients today?
Jennifer,
When I started writing my post I originally began with this line, “I’d like to think that my life has been untouched by war. But that would be denial.” I have never seen a battle field but spending an extended period living with the threat of a coup and the general chaos and instability of an uncertain political/military environment is impactful. Somehow that didn’t seem to compare with those who have seen active battlefields or the horrors of genocide. That’s when I realized not all casualties of war are seen. It’s easier to think that war doesn’t impact us when we don’t see it everyday or only on the news. I did struggle with some mild PTSD after we left Cambodia, maybe that is where “moral bruising” plays out in the lives of civilians, aid workers, spouses and families. Secondary trauma is a real thing. In terms of my counseling here in the US, I do see a number of women whose spouses have served and deployed during wartime conflicts. Their spouses are often suffering with PTSD and other co-occuring mental health issues such as depression, addiction, and suicidal ideation. My masters degree focus was on that population. Military spouses and their children need care too!
I so loved reading your post! Very immersive. It always helps to put faces and names, real people, to the stories of war. Bombs don’t just destroy buildings, but lives as well – and not just combatant enemies, but innocent bystanders as well. But even then, those “people” are most often unknown, and we can’t truly feel the weight of it all. Thank you for personalizing it for us.
Hi John,
Yes, many names and faces came to mind while writing this post. It was a great pleasure to be with so many of them in person last week. God has restored so much! Thank you for your kind words!
Jenny, this is an incredible post, telling us about your account of what you saw / experienced in Cambodia. Thank you for providing this glimpse into your (and your family’s) life.
Like you, I also found the image of the enemy as neighbor insightful. I particularly found this perspective to be quite helpful: “the punitive deployment of force against an unjust enemy can be motivated by the desire to…restore him to the fellowship of peace. In this way, just war, as a retributive ethic, is also attentive to the flourishing of our enemy.” (Livecche, 10) I don’t think I have heard anyone frame this “love of one’s enemies” in this way before. It would seem that Livecche is making an argument that a purpose in war can be to restore one’s neighbor to peace and flourishing. This is interesting commentary to include in future readings of Romans 13.
Hi Travis,
Thank you for your response and kind words. I sat with Romans 13 just now and took special notice of verse 8. “Let no debt remain outstanding, except to the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Backing this up to those who govern, isn’t love the purpose and debt owed to society by those in positions of power and authority? While responding with war and killing can be considered a just and even loving response to abuses of power, that necessary response began with a lack of love and consideration for human beings by leaders. Leaders without love are dangerous. God’s command to love is powerful, practical, and complex.
Hi Jenny,
You wrote, “Our warfighters need the church and Christians to play a significant role in bringing about healing and restoration to those who suffer the casualties of war. They need armor for their souls.”
I cannot remember a time when the U.S. was not in some sort of conflict (or preparing for one). So from my perspective, this book is relevant for pastors who have soldiers in the congregation.
It is clear that soldiers are not prepared for the mental, emotional, spiritual dimension of war. When they come back injured (or bruised) their families and communities are impacted.
Armor for our souls…..Yup…
Thanks for your thoughts.
Selah
Hi Russell,
Again, thank you for your service and your response. I want to clarify that the words ‘armor for their soul’ came from the book. I couldn’t find the reference when I was writing and forgot to check again. I just found it on page 190. I should amend my post! It created quite a visual for me. The components of that armor are friendship and safe places to share common experiences. It seems that no matter what challenges we face in life, in war, and ordinary daily living, we need those two things right along a faith that grounds us in the love of God.
Oh, Jenny, your post has given me a greater appreciation for you, your ministry, and what you have accomplished as a student. With this in mind, since you have been exposed to war since 1975, how have these traumatic events over the years shaped you into the person you are today?
Hi Todd,
Thank you for the question. My exposure to war-time suffering came mostly by listening to the experiences of others, with some impact on me particularly in Cambodia. Phnom Pehn was not an active war zone, just a very unstable environment with a lot of exposure to threat and the trauma of others. Combining that with other personal experiences of suffering the biggest way I have been impacted is taking to heart Philippians 3:10 (all of Philippians really)and embracing suffering as part of following Christ and experiencing the fellowship of His suffering. There is something very impactful regarding my spiritual formation and the deepening of my faith during times when God was all I had to rely upon that moved me closer to Jesus and towards others. I think it has also strengthened me to sit with the suffering of others and informed my gentle approach to people who have experienced trauma. I also see a lot of hope and post-traumatic growth that can come out of these situations if they are talked about and listened to with compassion. I need to reflect more on your question. I am also wondering how my exposure may have had a negative impact. My anxiety was pretty high and my physical health suffered for a number of years, but again it was in that suffering that I gained insight into Christ’s suffering with me, which filled me with hope, and helped me to see God’s activity in my life. Looking back I can honestly say a lot of good came out of suffering, though it was very challenging at the time!
Jenny, it is obvious because of the work you do and how you do it, that you have deep insight into Christs’ suffering. Thank you for answering my question so well. Besides God’s Word, was there a book that meant a lot to your healing journey?
Todd, during that season for me it really was the Bible and the personal stories of several role models who endured suffering well that kept me standing. It wasn’t until I came home on a break in 2010 that I started reading up on trauma. Trauma became the focus of my masters degree which got me started on researching the effects of trauma on relationships. At that time the only research studies I could find on spouses was that of Vietnam veteran’s wives. Susan Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with Trauma Survivors: Strengthening Attachment Bonds was particularly helpful…though it was years after the fact.
Jenny,
This is such a powerful post. I have learned so much from you and your experiences in Asia. It is a perspective that I would not have without you sharing your personal experiences. You shared, “Moving to Vietnam in 1997, I was confronted with the realities of the “American War.” I witnessed Vietnam veterans returning for a corrective emotional experience. Some came alone, others with humanitarian aid agencies, and as missionaries.”
What type of support was available in Vietnam for veterans? Do you believe that your perception of the war different because you were in Vietnam? How did that experience change you as a missionary?
Hi Jonita,
For US Veterans coming to Vietnam there was no support. What I noticed was that some found little relief. I assume at least in part this was because they came alone, were looking for old friends, and had no support. For others the experience of returning was healing. Often they were giving back in some way. A family friend who was a Vietnam vet told me he would never return because he feared the trauma. However, he changed his mind and chose to come back for a visit. It was very healing for him and his wife. They left my home with tears in their eyes grateful to see a country and people thriving. In terms of the Vietnamese soldiers and their families, I have no idea. But the trauma was real. I recall an elderly soldier who waited in front of where our church met begging. He was a multiple amputee with only one leg. Clearly, there was a lack of care. It was heart-breaking.
Jenny, this is absolutely heartbreaking. I am amazed by the ill effects of war. I am also encouraged by those that returned and sought ways to give back. Thank you for sharing. I am so grateful that God planted you and Eric to help those that you encountered.