Eleventh hour of the eleventh month

I thought this article from today's Irish Echo about Irish veterans of the Great War was interesting.

Those suffering from the long-term psychiatric and emotional impact of war was Ireland's "secret demographic," he said. He referred to Sligo's asylum, which had "nine levels of incarceration." Barry drew a parallel with post-Vietnam America, which he wandered around as a student in 1973."In every small town, you'd see one or two men looking exceptionally lost," he said.

"I wouldn't say they were ostracized," said the 64-year-old Phelan of his hometown's World War I veterans. "But nothing was made of them."

I suspect there aren't any (Irish veterans) still alive, but I did see a few living WWI veterans on the BBC this week. One man, 105 or so, was incredibly lucid. Amazing.