A Marine who had fought in the Iraq War has apparently died back on the home front. The connection to video games is that Eric Hall first disappeared after playing Call of Duty 4, which some witnesses believe set off a severe war flashback caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. The whole story raises far more questions than it has so far answered.
While the latest news is that the body still hasn’t been identified, Eric’s mother believes it to be him. The story goes that Eric was playing Call of Duty 4 when he suddenly got up, went outside, got on his motorcycle and drove away. He had not been seen or heard from since. He has been missing since February 3.
The questions originally raised, unfortunately, still apply. Did Call of Duty 4 really trigger a flashback? If so, should such games feature some form of warning, or is that simply going too far? Should the US Military, at the very least, better educate soldiers returning home about the potential dangers of games and films to set off flashbacks?
Most of all, however, this story is a tragedy for Eric’s friends and family. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them.
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