#18: The Trauma
Many survivors stayed silent for decades. Who could blame them? The experience was too extreme for ordinary conversation: the sinking, oil, thirst, hallucinations, sharks, and the guilt of living when so many friends did not. Survivors often carried physical scars, nightmares, and memories that did not fit neatly into victory narratives. World War II ended days later. For them, the war kept replaying in the water.
