The return home: Disability experiences of Second World War Veterans with amputations

LAY SUMMARY Analysis of oral history interviews conducted with Canadian Second World War Veterans with amputation identified themes of disability experiences. Overall, the experience and understanding of disability by Veterans with amputation was based on activities they could perform independently, how others saw them, and how they viewed their injuries. The inherent pride and masculinity in not showing a disability was celebrated by the Veterans and is still relevant today, where life-changing injuries, such as amputations, are often thought of as tragedies an individual needs to be strong enough to overcome. The way disability was understood during this time as an individual responsibility influenced today’s military culture. Rehabilitation professionals working with military personnel are encouraged to be conscious of reinforcing injuries as tragedies that need to be independently overcome. Introduction: After the Second World War, efforts to support Veterans who experienced traumatic injuries, including amputations, involved rehabilitation, devices, and employment supports. Oral histories can support an understanding of how these Veterans experienced disabilities and community reintegration. The purpose of this project was to address the research question, “How did Canadian Second World War Veterans with amputations experience disability from the time of amputation to 1995?” Methods: A conventional inductive approach was used to analyze 11 transcripts from archival materials of interviews conducted in 1995. Participants were nine male Second World War Veterans with an amputation (four spouses also participated) and two widows of deceased Veterans with amputations. Results: Four main themes emerged: 1) support from Veterans’ organizations as affecting reintegration, 2) challenges to and facilitators of community reintegration, 3) the impact of amputation on disability self-perception, and 4) the impact of amputation on aging processes. Discussion: Previous research suggests that the Second World War served as the impetus for rehabilitation therapy. Data from these interviews suggest that Canadian Veterans benefited from supports from Veterans’ organizations, as well as government, but were also affected by stigma associated with their disabilities and shouldered much of the responsibility for successful reintegration.