The Emotional Toll of War

A Reluctant Hero

Commander Douglas C. McLaughlin in his F6F Hellcat — courtesy of the author

My dad drank a lot when I was growing up. He was not a nice drunk either. After he quit cold turkey without any help at age 65, I asked him how he did it. He said he never liked it and that he drank because all the other guys did. He remained sober until his death at 94.

He also had the emotional maturity of an adolescent. He would tease me and my brother and sister about…