The Spirit of “The Bird”

It was a sad day on Monday, April 13, 2009, for lifelong Detroit Tigers fans, when the news came that Mark “The Bird” Fidrych had died at age 54 in an accident on his farm in Massachusetts. Just the mention of his name brings back fond memories for me of the summer of 1976. That summer, as the nation celebrated its bicentennial, the number of murders skyrocketed in Detroit. The bitterness of the race riots less than a decade ago, Watergate, and our withdrawal from the Vietnam War were still fresh in our minds, and Detroit—and the country as a whole—desperately needed a diversion. We got one in the form of Mark Fidrych—a zany, wacky fireball pitcher. Out of nowhere, he appeared in Detroit to take the American League—and all of baseball—by storm. Born in Worchester, Massachusetts, he managed to progress through the minor leagues with little or no fanfare. I still remember his first start for a mediocre Detroit Tigers team, in May 1976. He talked to the baseball on the mound all afternoon as he baffled the Cleveland batters on his way to a 2–1 victory and a complete-game performance. Over the next 2 months, he turned the traditional baseball world inside out as he became the most popular player on the planet. Despite being a rookie, he started the All-Star game in Philadelphia that year, on his way to a 19–9 record. The Bird was sensational! I’m still not sure if his fastball was really that overpowering or if his goofy antics on the mound just kept batters distracted. Whatever it was, he was phenomenal: His ERA was 2.34 for the year, while completing 24 of the 28 games in which he got a decision—truly unheard-of statistics by today’s pitching measures. The Bird became a sports hero overnight as he provided a great escape from reality for a troubled city and country. The most popular song on Detroit radio and television that year was “Surfer Bird,” an offbeat classic that was repeatedly played on the days that Mark pitched. He ended that amazing rookie year by finishing second in the Cy Young Award balloting, losing out to the great Jim Palmer. He did make it to the cover of Sports Illustrated, alongside Big Bird from Sesame Street, for whom he was nicknamed. He also made the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, something that no other athlete had accomplished, and it solidified his rock star status. Sadly for Detroit fans, his star performance didn’t last. He tore a meniscus in his knee during the spring of 1977, which kept him on the disabled list until May. When he returned, his mechanics were off, which led to shoulder problems for the rest of the year. We’d like to think that those problems could have been effectively solved with today’s standard of medical care. During the next 3 seasons in Detroit, his fortunes turned south and he never regained his form. The Bird retired from baseball but did attempt a comeback in the early 1980s. He never regained the form that powered him to the pinnacle of baseball in 1976. After his passing, the tributes from his former teammates were impressive, emphasizing his love for the game. They spoke of how The Bird cherished signing autographs and talking with fans; how he refused to hire an agent to negotiate his contract, saying it wasn’t about money for him; and how gracefully and lighthearted he left baseball when it was over for him, happy to be able to purchase a farm and gas station, 2 of his dreams. In the end, Mark “The Bird” Fidrych was one of the few athletes that reached the peak of his sport but didn’t worry how long he stayed there. It was more than enough for him just to have made it. The Bird provided a healthy dose of medicine for a troubled populace in the summer of 1976. I’m not sure we’ll see the likes of another Bird, but we should keep trying to find one. I’m sure happy I was around to see The Bird perform. Oh, what a show it was!

Thailand in the Era of the Cold War and Rama IX

Naming Differences in Divided Germany

This article analyzes differences in naming between East and West Germany. After World War II, Germany was split by the allied forces. Two Germanies emerged: the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR). The country's division lasted about forty years (1949–1989), a time span in which vastly different geo-political frameworks — Eastern bloc versus Western bloc — shaped people's lives and eventually their name choices as well. The results of this complex relationship are addressed here with the following questions: to what extent can different naming patterns and name preferences be observed in the two parts of divided Germany, regardless of their common language and cultural heritage? Can differences in taste be identified, and how did these differences develop over time? These questions are answered here using the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). The SOEP offers the rare opportunity of examining patterns of occurrence of first names among a representative sample of 56,000 individuals born since 1900. Moreover, this study includes a wide range of variables revealing the social and economic backgrounds of the “name givers”: the parents.

The Politics and Practice of Archaeology in Conflict

This introductory paper reviews recent writings on archaeology and conflict, setting the other contributions to this volume into context. We draw attention to the political nature of archaeological work, and to the problems of reconciling professional interest in the protection and management of cultural property with needs of communities affected by war. We focus on two areas of current concern — the ethical and moral dimension to professional conduct, and the need to reconcile post-processual critiques of practice with the need to draw on empirical science in the competent conduct of work — finding middle ground in both areas of debate. We also conclude that heritage management and archaeological practice have an important contribution to make in the rehabilitation of war-torn societies, but that the top-down approaches that are most widely favoured can fail to meet the needs of local communities. Best archaeological practice should build from an understanding of local socio-political and cultural power structures, draw on assessments of need, and build upon a notion of heritage that moves beyond the purely materialistic. The concept of heritage as 'care' is perhaps more important to our work than that of 'curation'.

“Against Invisible Enemies”: Japanese Bacteriological Weapons and China's Cold War, 1949-1950

Treating children traumatized by war and Tsunami: A comparison between exposure therapy and meditation-relaxation in North-East Sri Lanka

Background The North-Eastern part of Sri Lanka had already been affected by civil war when the 2004 Tsunami wave hit the region, leading to high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children. In the acute aftermath of the Tsunami we tested the efficacy of two pragmatic short-term interventions when applied by trained local counselors. Methods A randomized treatment comparison was implemented in a refugee camp in a severely affected community. 31 children who presented with a preliminary diagnosis of PTSD were randomly assigned either to six sessions Narrative Exposure Therapy for children (KIDNET) or six sessions of meditation-relaxation (MED-RELAX). Outcome measures included severity of PTSD symptoms, level of functioning and physical health. Results In both treatment conditions, PTSD symptoms and impairment in functioning were significantly reduced at one month post-test and remained stable over time. At 6 months follow-up, recovery rates were 81% for the children in the KIDNET group and 71% for those in the MED-RELAX group. There was no significant difference between the two therapy groups in any outcome measure. Conclusion As recovery rates in the treatment groups exceeded the expected rates of natural recovery, the study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of NET as well as meditation-relaxation techniques when carried out by trained local counselors for the treatment of PTSD in children in the direct aftermath of mass disasters. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT00820391

The prevalence of common mental disorders and PTSD in the UK military: using data from a clinical interview-based study

Background The mental health of the Armed Forces is an important issue of both academic and public interest. The aims of this study are to: a) assess the prevalence and risk factors for common mental disorders and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, during the main fighting period of the Iraq War (TELIC 1) and later deployments to Iraq or elsewhere and enlistment status (regular or reserve), and b) compare the prevalence of depression, PTSD symptoms and suicidal ideation in regular and reserve UK Army personnel who deployed to Iraq with their US counterparts. Methods Participants were drawn from a large UK military health study using a standard two phase survey technique stratified by deployment status and engagement type. Participants undertook a structured telephone interview including the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) and a short measure of PTSD (Primary Care PTSD, PC-PTSD). The response rate was 76% (821 participants). Results The weighted prevalence of common mental disorders and PTSD symptoms was 27.2% and 4.8%, respectively. The most common diagnoses were alcohol abuse (18.0%) and neurotic disorders (13.5%). There was no health effect of deploying for regular personnel, but an increased risk of PTSD for reservists who deployed to Iraq and other recent deployments compared to reservists who did not deploy. The prevalence of depression, PTSD symptoms and subjective poor health were similar between regular US and UK Iraq combatants. Conclusion The most common mental disorders in the UK military are alcohol abuse and neurotic disorders. The prevalence of PTSD symptoms remains low in the UK military, but reservists are at greater risk of psychiatric injury than regular personnel.

Post-conflict mental health needs: a cross-sectional survey of trauma, depression and associated factors in Juba, Southern Sudan

Background The signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in January 2005 marked the end of the civil conflict in Sudan lasting over 20 years. The conflict was characterised by widespread violence and large-scale forced migration. Mental health is recognised as a key public health issue for conflict-affected populations. Studies revealed high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst populations from Southern Sudan during the conflict. However, no studies have been conducted on mental health in post-war Southern Sudan. The objective of this study was to measure PTSD and depression in the population in the town of Juba in Southern Sudan; and to investigate the association ofdemographic, displacement, and past and recent trauma exposure variables, on the outcomes of PTSD and depression. Methods A cross-sectional, random cluster survey with a sample of 1242 adults (aged over 18 years) was conducted in November 2007 in the town of Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan. Levels of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD were measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (original version), and levels of depression measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the association ofdemographic, displacement and trauma exposure variables on the outcomes of PTSD and depression. Multivariate logistic regression was also conducted to investigate which demographic and displacement variables were associated with exposure to traumatic events. Results Over one third (36%) of respondents met symptom criteria for PTSD and half (50%) of respondents met symptom criteria for depression. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed strong associations of gender, marital status, forced displacement, and trauma exposure with outcomes of PTSD and depression. Men, IDPs, and refugees and persons displaced more than once were all significantly more likely to have experienced eight or more traumatic events. Conclusion This study provides evidence of high levels of mental distress in the population of Juba Town, and associated risk-factors. Comprehensive social and psychological assistance is urgently required in Juba.

A systematic review of post-deployment injury-related mortality among military personnel deployed to conflict zones

Background This paper reports on a systematic review of the literature on the post-conflict injury-related mortality of service members who deployed to conflict zones. Methods Literature databases, reference lists of articles, agencies, investigators, and other sources were examined to find studies comparing injury-related mortality of military veterans who had served in conflict zones with that of contemporary veterans who had not served in conflict zones. Injury-related mortality was defined as a cause of death indicated by International Classification of Diseases E-codes E800 to E999 (external causes) or subgroupings within this range of codes. Results Twenty studies met the review criteria; all involved veterans serving during either the Vietnam or Persian Gulf conflict. Meta-analysis indicated that, compared with non-conflict-zone veterans, injury-related mortality was elevated for veterans serving in Vietnam (summary mortality rate ratio (SMRR) = 1.26, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 1.08–1.46) during 9 to 18 years of follow-up. Similarly, injury-related mortality was elevated for veterans serving in the Persian Gulf War (SMRR = 1.26, 95%CI = 1.16–1.37) during 3 to 8 years of follow-up. Much of the excess mortality among conflict-zone veterans was associated with motor vehicle events. The excess mortality decreased over time. Hypotheses to account for the excess mortality in conflict-zone veterans included post-traumatic stress, coping behaviors such as substance abuse, ill-defined diseases and symptoms, lower survivability in injury events due to conflict-zone comorbidities, altered perceptions of risk, and/or selection processes leading to the deployment of individuals who were risk-takers. Conclusion Further research on the etiology of the excess mortality in conflict-zone veterans is warranted to develop appropriate interventions.

Incarceration experiences among a community-recruited sample of injection drug users in Bangkok, Thailand

Background Since 2003 Thailand has waged an aggressive "war on drugs" campaign focused on arresting and incarcerating suspected drug users and dealers. However, little is known about incarceration experiences among IDU in the wake of the recent war on drugs. Therefore, we sought to examine incarceration experiences among IDU in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods We examined the prevalence of incarceration among community-recruited IDU participating in the Mitsampan Community Research Project. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with a self-reported history of incarceration. We also examined the prevalence of injection drug use and syringe sharing within prisons. Results 252 IDU were recruited in August 2008; 66 (26.2%) were female and the median age was 36.5 years. In total, 197 (78.2%) participants reported a history of incarceration. In multivariate analyses, reporting a history of incarceration was associated with a history of compulsory drug treatment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 4.93; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.95 - 12.48), non-fatal overdose (AOR = 3.69; 95%CI: 1.45 - 9.39), syringe sharing (AOR = 2.20; 95%CI: 1.12 - 4.32), and female gender (AOR = 0.41; 95%CI: 0.20 - 0.82). Among those who reported a history of incarceration, 59 (29.9%) reported injection drug use in prison, and 48 (81.4%) of these individuals reported sharing syringes in prison. Incarceration was not associated with the number of injections performed in the previous week ( p = 0.202). Conclusion Over three-quarters of the IDU participating in this study reported a history of incarceration, and 30% of these individuals reported injection drug use within prison. Further, an alarmingly high level of syringe sharing within prison was reported, and incarceration was not associated with reductions in drug use. These findings provide further evidence of the need for community diversion strategies, as well as harm reduction programs, in Thai prisons.