The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Combat Stress Experienced by the Heavy Bombardment Crews of the Eighth Air Force during WWII offers a unique window into the effects of combat stress as experienced by a select number of men in a select moment of time and one that is unlikely to be experienced again by mankind.
This is not to say that future combat aviators will not experience the unique effects of combat stress, as this is nearly a given (as the record of man's wartime experiences shows) but that the unique environment the men of the Eighth Air Force experienced will likely not be repeated to the same degree going forward.
With that being the most likely case, author and military historian, Anthony Cardo, seeks to also explore what the experiences of the heavy bombardment crews of the Eighth Air Force with the physiological and psychological effects of combat stress have to offer posterity and aims to inspire the reader to ask for themselves what these experiences have to offer posterity.
What this work is not is a clinical study on the bomber crewmen, nor is it meant to be an exhaustive study on the subject. Instead, it is meant to add to the historical discussion by categorizing some of the various physiological and psychological symptoms of combat-induced fear and providing commentary on its significance and relation to the wider literature on the effects of combat stress on human beings.
If the work succeeds in fueling your interest or curiosity on the topic and propels you into further research, then it has at least succeeded in its overall goal: to both raise awareness and the discussion on the topic. I hope you enjoy it as I enjoyed both researching and drafting this work.
