Because, dianavan, they are so horrible/absurd/tragic/comic that those doing the telling aren't believed.

Really.

Would you believe cannibalism of prisoners by Japanese forces during WW2? Would you believe parachutists dropped behind their own lines because the drop zone was overrun just a couple hours before? Both happened and both are documented.

So the veterans, men AND women, talk to each other about it. Those who have been there believe.

And this has been the case for centuries.