"I served from 1979 until 2006. First as a squad leader, then in the Border Patrol, and I ended up in a senior position in the Judea and Samaria patrol unit. It took me a long time to understand what post-trauma is. My fellow soldiers and I didn't understand what we were suffering from.
The challenge was that we were simply transparent, especially during celebratory occasions in Israel such as Purim and Independence Day. These are joyous holidays, but for us it is emotionally difficult to hear the sounds of the fireworks, which remind us of explosions, and smell the gunpowder. These triggers take us back to the battlefield and tear our souls apart. It takes a while to recover and for weeks prior to and after the memorial ceremonies we hold for our fallen brothers, we suffer from nightmares and incomprehensible outbursts of rage."

Photo: Michael Topiol