The Vietnam War — which came closely on the heels of the Southeast Asian nation's war against colonial France — was one of the longest military conflicts of the 20th century, lasting nearly 20 years, from 1955 to 1975.

It claimed the lives of approximately 3.8 million people and concluded with the defeat of the US-backed regime in South Vietnam and the victory of the communist forces from both North and South Vietnam.

There has been extensive literature about the Vietnam War and its aftermath.

However, one aspect stands out, as noted by Jose Brunner, historian of science and professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University: The recognition and understanding of the long-term psychological and social consequences of war.

Since at least World War I, it's known that soldiers often suffer from their experiences of violence long after the war ends. In Germany, the so-called "war shiverers" experienced chills and panic attacks, or refused to eat.

The medical community was at a loss, and in keeping with the spirit of the times, these individuals were either dismissed as malingerers or left to heal on their own.

This changed with the Vietnam War. In 1972, psychiatrist Chaim F. Shatan, who had worked with Vietnam veterans, published a report on post-Vietnam syndrome in The New York Times.

Shatan described how veterans were plagued by feelings of guilt, how the war had brutalized them, and how they suffered from deep alienation from their fellow human beings.

"The most poignant feature is an agonizing doubt about their continued ability to love others, and to accept........

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