Smoke rises from the charred ground as the sounds of guns and screams fade away, leaving behind bloody bodies and a icy silence. War is a horrific event that leaves soldiers with disturbing memories that haunt them for the rest of their lives. Along with other soldiers, J.D. Salinger lived his life with painful memories of the war. Mental problems resulting from these terrible experiences were rarely treated; those who were hospitalized and “recovered” still had lingering mental problems. After World War II, America did not focus on the mental health of soldiers. Salinger therefore decided to raise awareness about this problem through entertaining and realistic short stories. Following his traumatic experience during World War II, J.D. Salinger set out to expose the mental effects of war through characters and symbols in "A Perfect Day for Banana Fish." Even as a child, his involvement in both the military and literature was evident. Born on New Year's Day 1919, Salinger spent his childhood in New York. Although he was intelligent, he was not a good student and failed at McBurney School. Salinger was then sent to Valley Forge Military Academy for the remainder of his high school years. At the military academy, he “became the literary editor of the school yearbook” (McGrath). This was the beginning of his interest in writing. After graduating, Salinger attended many colleges, but the one that was most instrumental to his success as a writer was Columbia College in New York. There he met Professor Whit Burnett, editor of Story Magazine. Burnett published some of Salinger's first short stories. Soon, Salinger even had a few stories appear in well-known magazines, such as the Saturday Evening Post ("JD Salinger B...... middle of paper ......s that stuck with him for the rest of his As few people understood how injured the returning soldiers were, Salinger exposed the truth to the public through accessible and intriguing short stories "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" was a meaningful story that depicted the aftermath of the trauma of. Postwar.” Biography Channel Website, nd. March 16, 2014. “JD Salinger and PTSD.” Stand for the Troops News and Blog, February 15, 2014. “JD Salinger, Literary Recluse, Dies at 91.” The New York Times Company, January 28, 2010. Web, March 16, 2014. Salinger, JD “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” Nine Stories. New York: Little, Brown and . Company, 1991. 3-18. “World War II (1939-1945”) SparkNotes, March 30... 2014.