This formerly restricted film was intended to be shown to patients suffering from combat fatigue. A medical officer/narrator explains the nature of fear and how it helps the body and mind cope with threatening situations. Profiling a soldier named Edwards, the narrator explains how combat fatigue begins, grows, and finally incapacitates the soldier. Aboard a ship headed for the combat zone, Edwards feels excitement and tension. In the combat zone, he behaves as expected -- he leaves his ship, wades ashore, penetrates a jungle area, and fires at the enemy. He is afraid but not cowardly. His fear keeps him alert and ready. During a lull in the battle, the fear abates. This is normal. During a prolonged period of relative inactivity, dug in in the jungle, Edwards becomes grouchy, nervous, and impatient. He and the other troops are in a constant state of alert. Edwards finally snaps during a patrol when his buddy, walking five paces in front of him, is killed. The narrator explains that Edwards has reached his own breaking point and is overcome with fear. From this point on, his behavior reflects his illness. He is irritable and critical. He becomes hostile and irrational. He suffers from loss of appetite and vomits what he does eat. He cannot sleep. When the immediate cause of fear is absent, Edwards is still afraid. Even when he is on leave, he is afraid. He cannot forget. The narrator reassures the viewer that Edwards will get well under the Navy's treatment program, and he will learn that fear is the fighting man's friend once he learns to "run" his fear and not let it "run" him. Shots include: A cat reacting with fear to the presence of a dog, combat scenes in a jungle setting, firefights, day and night patrols, a night watch in a foxhole, and an aerial attack on a camp.
Learn more about this film and search its transcript at NLM Digital Collections: resource.nlm.ni....
Learn more about the National Library of Medicine's historical audiovisuals program at: www.nlm.nih.go...
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16 сен 2024
