My father was a gunner on the LST808 and it was sunk by a suicide bomber. He and the survivors spent the next 6 weeks on an island with only what they could salvedge from the wreck. There was intense fighting on the other side of the island and they dug into foxholes and waited to be rescued. A lot of the men came back very damaged but dad decided that part of his life was over after the war and never talked about it. I didn't find out about any of it until i went to some of the reunions with him years later. The time we actually toured an LST that was being restored was a day I'll never forget. It gave me more insight into a man I deeply respected and loved with all my heart. He was my hero and it was something to see how they lived on that floating tin can. These brave men who give their all every day deserve the best we can give them when they come home. And if they don't come home we need to take care of the families who will never get over the loss.
My DH was in Viet Nam and he doesn't talk about it either. It was a job that had to be done and he was there to do his part.