50 Years On, Survivor’s Guilt Lingers Over Vietnam Veterans and Families

The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes survivor’s guilt in veterans as a component of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

A visitor points to the name of one who died during the Vietnam War, inscribed on the marble wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, ahead of Memorial Day celebrations in Washington, on May 26, 2013. Molly Riley/AP Photo

SHOW LOW, Ariz.—In every war, combat veterans grapple with a profound and haunting question: Why did I survive while others did not?

Decades after the Vietnam War concluded on April 30, 1975, the weight of “survivor’s guilt” continues to overshadow many families, particularly those whose loved ones returned forever changed.