Whilst RB was one of the most courageous people I know his wife (they were never divorced) eclipses his bravery ten-fold.
Based on your story, your friend's wife seems to have a great deal of perseverance and mental fortitude. She managed to keep the family together despite all of the massive challenges. But she was never shot at nor did any bombs go off in her vicinity. As a soldier in a combat role, your late friend RB must have come under incredible stress. It's hard to assess the subjective levels of stress people come under in different situations but it stands to reason to assume that seeing your mates die and get horrifically injured next to you must be at a different level compared to a lot of things. There is a limit to how much even the bravest men can take without losing their minds.
I agree completely...She is an incredible woman, as was RB a top bloke! Both strong in their own way.
What happens on the battlefield, what my mate RB had to do, what he witnessed...It stays with a bloke and changes him. It did him anyway. There were rare moments when the bloke I knew came back, but a lot of the time he was detached, aloof...Almost like we were not even there sometimes. It's difficult to explain.
RB was a brave man..Decorated in battle, and one of the most together blokes one could meet...But the PTSD ate him up from the inside out...He was an empty shell in the end.
Anyway, I remember him fondly, and miss the bloke that he was before his deployments...And we rally around his wife and family, the friends group I mean, and we support those he left behind.
Thanks for commenting. I know it's probably a difficult post to comment on.