Rob AndersonLead Coach/ Principle Owner, Stand Sure Coaching · Spending time in collaborative conversations with clients

Vietnam Veteran Triggers: Unexpected PTSD Reminders Explained #shorts

8 Mar 2026 · 0 min

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In this short monologue, a Vietnam veteran explains how seemingly ordinary sights, sounds, and smells can unexpectedly trigger traumatic memories from combat. He cites specific examples such as the cramped space and smell of a porta‑potty at a public event, the fuel odor from A‑10 aircraft at Gowen Field, children crying, and the lingering auditory memory of a car bombing. The speaker emphasizes that these everyday cues can instantly transport a veteran back to deployment, highlighting the pervasive and unpredictable nature of PTSD triggers for those who have served.

Simple little things like walking into— you know, we just had the Web.com golf tournament and they did some great things for veteran organizations all over Idaho. But you walk into one of those porta-potties and if you've ever been on deployment, man, that porta-potty, that can be a trigger. You pass by Gowen Field, you smell the fuel coming off of the A-10s, that can be a trigger. You hear kids crying. I know that when I was involved in a car bombing, the first thing I could hear after