Page 14 - A Soldiers Exposition

WHY TWO EAGLES

"I PLEDGE ALLE{f.§.l.a.s.¿.h}GIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UN{f.§.l.a.s.¿.h}ITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND TO THE REPUBLIC{f.§.l.a.s.¿.h}FOR WHICH IT STANDS
ONE NATION UNDER GOD; {f.§.l.a.s.¿.h}
INDIVISIBLE, WITH{f.§.l.a.s.¿.h}LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL."

By this point, you have read the Dedication, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Introduction. At the bottom
of the Introduction, I announced to you the use of Critical Thinking as it pertains to these writings.

So, let’s explore:

The Pledge of Allegiance is presented to you twice. The first represents a clear mind and the pledge is
flawless and concise. The second represents a mind scrambled by PTSD flashbacks. The pledge is
jumbled as flashbacks disturb the thought process.

What are flashbacks?

A flashback is a recurrent and abnormally vivid recollection of a traumatic experience, sometimes
accompanied by hallucinations. Flashbacks are considered one of the re-experiencing symptoms of
PTSD. As the name implies, in a flashback, a person may feel or act as though a traumatic event is
happening again.

A flashback can vary in severity. A flashback may be a temporary occurrence, and a person may maintain
some connection with the present moment. On the other hand, during a flashback, a person may lose all
awareness of what is going on around them, being taken completely back to their traumatic event. During
a flashback, a person may also lose track of time and possibly experience a disruption in concentration.

Re-experiencing symptoms are a specific cluster of PTSD symptoms. These symptoms include:

• Frequently having upsetting thoughts or memories about a traumatic event.

• Having recurrent nightmares.

• Having very strong feelings of distress when reminded of the traumatic event.

• Being physically responsive, such as experiencing a surge in your heart rate or sweating, to reminders
of the traumatic event.

As this exposition develops, I will discuss PTSD in more detail. But for now, you should know that I suffer
from severe PTSD and were it not for my wife’s assistance, this book would have remained lost inside my
disorderly mind and never seen the light of day.

Suffice it to say that my inability to think “unadventurously” or to think without “interruptions” contributed to
the lengthy time it took to complete this project.