5 long years

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post about the anniversary of the war - but I can't. I'm simply going to post two links.

This is one of the saddest photos I have ever seen - and it really says it all.



And in an alternate universe we have President Jackass -


night all....

Rule Number Two

Did any of you watch MASH? I loved that show. During one episode Hawkeye loses someone he knows on the table and is of course overwrought. Henry Blake the CO talks to him and says "There are two rules in war" Rule number one is that young men die. Rule number two is that doctors can't change rule number one."

Yesteray I was in Borders bookstore buying a reference book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (light reading). As I always do I perused the war section to see if there were any books on Iraq that I hadn't read yet. There was. I picked up a book called Rule Number Two Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital. I had intended to read this book after the weekend while my thesis was at my second reader - but I made the mistake of rading the first chapter while waiting for my lunch to cook. I was hooked.

After a 9 hour day of sitting at my desk writing and editing my thesis I went to bed around 10pm. I picked up the book and didn't put it down until I was finished. Dr. Heidi Squier Kraft, a clincial psychologist who is former Navy active duty, writes about her seven months in Iraq helping men and women of the Marine corp deal with trauma. Her story is amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Most of the time I had tears running down my face as I was reading. I've read alot about Iraq but this book painted a picture in a way that no one really has. Maybe because it's from the perspective that I've been working from - I'm not sure. One thing it did was reinforce what I want to do with my life. I can't wait to be done with school and start my masters so I can be at least placed in a practicum where I am dealing with soldiers directly.

If you are at all interested in this subject I want to encourage you to buy this book. The author is donating 10% of royalties earned to the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund which looks like fabulous organization.

This book is not an easy read. Let me be more specific. The book is extremely well written but the subject matter is tough. She has seen things that no one should see and had to deal with situations that no one should have to deal with. Both physical and emotional situations. All while leaving her husband and twins at home in Florida.

We have a lot of hero's in this war. Dr. Heidi Squier Kraft is an example of another type of hero that doesn't get mentioned much. I'm glad her story is being told.

Right before she leaves Iraq she makes a list of things that were good and things that were not good. This list is worth the cost of the book alone. I won't reprint it because I don't have permission but also because I want you guys to read it yourselves. You can find it here.

Perfect Sleep

You know those nights were the temperature in your bedroom is just right, the blankets fall around you perfectly, your pillows are ridiculously comfortable and you don't have to set the alarm for anything? I had one of those nights last night. Perfect sleep...just what I needed before this weekend of finishing my thesis.

I have three errands to do this morning bank, Lowes and Borders and then I'll be sitting right here writing for the rest of the day. Feel free to drop me a line to say hello!

I can't believe I've never posted this before. This song mixes my love of AIC and my subject matter of my thesis. WARNING there are disturbing images contained in this video. Really, I mean it, this was played on MTV but some of it is still disturbing.

RIP Blogger/Soldier

This man was killed in Iraq last Thursday. He had asked a friend in the service to post this in case he was ever killed in action.

Here is an excerpt from his final post:

I do ask (not that I'm in a position to enforce this) that no one try to use my death to further their political purposes. I went to Iraq and did what I did for my reasons, not yours. My life isn't a chit to be used to bludgeon people to silence on either side. If you think the U.S. should stay in Iraq, don't drag me into it by claiming that somehow my death demands us staying in Iraq. If you think the U.S. ought to get out tomorrow, don't cite my name as an example of someone's life who was wasted by our mission in Iraq. I have my own opinions about what we should do about Iraq, but since I'm not around to expound on them I'd prefer others not try and use me as some kind of moral capital to support a position I probably didn't support. Further, this is tough enough on my family without their having to see my picture being used in some rally or my name being cited for some political purpose. You can fight political battles without hurting my family, and I'd prefer that you did so.

I do hope people respect his wishes.

RIP Blogger/Soldier

Soldiers & The Holidays

Last night I watched The Ground Truth. This is a documentary that talks to 6 men and women about their service in Iraq. It'll break your heart. The stories are so different but in the end the same.





I highly recommend this movie to everyone. It doesn't matter if you are for the war or against the war - there is something to be learned for everyone.

One of the most unbelievable parts is when one of the men who has lost his hand is asked but someone how he lost it. He answers "the war" and the person asking says "what war" and the soldiers answers patiently "the war in Iraq". The other person then asks him "Oh that is still going on?" How is it that we have reached this level of apathy? It's disturbing and disgusting.

While I was on the The Ground Truth website I came across a website called anysoldier.com. This is way for people to be involved directly with the troops. You can send as little as a postcard or as much as a care package. There are pretty specific directions but I think making a soldiers days is worth a little reading. Don't you?

Oh - and this is important. Any of you have received that email about sending cards to "A Recovering American Soldier" should know that it's not a valid message. According the Dept. of Defense Walter Reed cannot accept any mail that isn't addressed to a particular person. Go the website above and send them something!

Lastly - my friend Tyler has posted this very moving video. Take 5 minutes to watch it.

Speaking of...
more days!!

When I Came Home

I just watched When I Came Home which is a documentary about homeless war veterans. The major story is the Iraq vets but they also speak about Vietnam. It's heartbreaking to watch a man who fought for our country do everything he can just to get a roof over his families head.

The hardest moment of the film is when he looks at the camera and says "I didn't fail my country, my country failed me." Because we did and we are. We are failing these men and women who come home physically and mentally wounded - we leave then to fend for themselves. It's just not right.

Go to the website and buy the DVD - when you do $5 will be donated to one of the groups on the list. It's really the least we can do.

I cried pretty much through the whole thing - I have NO idea how I'm going to get up and do a 45 minute talk on this stuff in March. I doubt I'll be able to keep it together.

Paul Rieckhoff who wrote the book Chasing Ghosts that you see in the side banner was also featured. He is the founder of the largest Iraq/Afghanistan Veteran group in the country. Go to their website and check out what they are doing.

"The one thing that was keeping me motivated was the thought that I was going to come home to everthing."
-PFC Herold Noel
US Army
Iraq War Veteran

Veterans

"Thank you for your service" seems like such a small thing to say. Kind of like the "I'm sorry" that's doled out at a wake or funeral. Recently I came across the statement "Yeah it's great that everyone has yellow ribbons on their trees and on their cars, but I can't see those from Iraq." It broke my heart. And as I sit here working on my thesis and being bombarded by facts like 20 million gallons of agent orange were used in Vietnam I start to get really pissed off once again.

I don't have the answers - I don't pretend to. But I don't think asking that we take care of the people who we send to war is too much. We are losing a generation of young people to this war - and I'm not just talking about the ones who are killed in action.


So to the Veterans of Iraq and past wars I say Thank you for your service because I don't know what else to say.

The History Of The Veterans Administration

Right now I'm digging into the history of the VA for my thesis. All I can say is WOW - what a freakin mess. At one point during the end of WWI Veterans benefits were administered by 5 different agencies within the Federal Government: Bureau of War Risk Insurance, Federal Board for Vocational Education, The Public Health Service, National Homes For Disabled Volunteer Soldiers and Bureau of Pensions.

Here's a fact that will shock you - due to poor planning and mismanagement of funds the Bureau of War Risk Management that was supposed to administer payments for total disability or injuries received in military service to soldiers or monthly payments to help support their dependants fell behind in their payments. Vocational education had only rehabbed 32 soldiers and even though the Civil War introduced over 5 million new vets into the system Public Health only had 7200 beds. Does this sound familiar?

Three of these agencies - War Risk Management, Vocational Education and Public Health were finally consolidated to form the Veterans' Bureau (VB).

Here is one of the most disturbing facts I have found - President Warren G. Harding appointed Charles R. Forbes as director of the Veterans Bureau. Charles R. Forbes was a friend of Harding's and unqualified for the job. Forbes stole or squandered over 200 million dollars of VB money. He was forced to resign and spent 2 years in jail for defrauding the Federal Government.

So basically our Vets have been getting the shaft since the inception of the agency that was meant to help them.....we should all be so proud.

Last night during the game Major League Baseball starting running commercials for this organization. It seems that the only option right now is to make a monetary donation (still a good option) but it looks like there will be more ways to help in the future.

When Abraham Lincoln was president he used these words; "to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and orphan". These words are all over the VA site - I wonder if they really know what that means.

In my research I've seen a lot of different ways that the government disrespects both soldiers and families of soldiers. My family has personal experience (a story for another day) with this also. But this not taking care of our Veterans from any way - it's just disgusting. We are the richest nation in the world correct? Why can't our Federal Government (both parties) get their heads out of their collective asses and get this right? Can't they see how important this is?

Grrrrrr this shit pisses me off. I love my country but it's at times like these that I am not very proud of my country and how we handle certain important things.

Not the warm fuzzys

Because of my research I get a lot of emails from the Dept. of Defense and other military arena's. One of the places that I get an update is www.military.com. Today one of the headlines was "Army Meets July Recruiting Goal". Why doesn't this make me feel all warm and fuzzy? They are offering something like a $20,000 signing bonus or maybe that should be called a $20,000 bribe.

As I mentioned I get a lot of different emails from the Dept. of Defense, I went onto the website and just signed up for some things not really sure about what they were. Now I get an email every time a casualty is identified. It's a little disconcerting. I think that everyone should get these it really makes what is happening over in the Middle East real. You see the name - age - where they are from and how they died.

This is not an anti- war post. It's more of an anti-death post.

Ramblings on loss

As I mentioned in a previous post my friend's son was killed in Iraq on Mother's Day. His father has been an outspoke opponent of the war. This is of course what the media has latched on to. Why wouldn't they? It's a story that will write itself. That way no one really has to get to know Andy (the son), they can just make assumptions about Andy (the father).

This is what I know. Andy (the father) is a retired Lt. Col who fought in Vietnam and in the Gulf War. This man knows strategy. His point is that this war is strategically unwinnable. He isn't coming at this like some left leaning crazy person who makes sweeping generalizations. He knows what he is talking about. Now this family has paid the ultimate price and lost their only son in a war that most of America feels in unwinnable.

There is an op-ed piece in the Washington Post today written by Andy (the father). Here is the link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052502032.html. I don't know how to make one of those fancy buttons that you press and it sends you to the article, so just cut and paste the link. If you read this you will see how several people had the gall to tell Andy that his views on the war caused his son's death. Shame on you! These are the left leaning crazy people that make anyone who has a slightly off center liberal view look so bad. For instance someone like Cindy Sheehan. I cannot begin to understand her grief that I know; but when I see a picture of her sitting on a couch with Hugo Chavez and smiling and laughing my blood boils. Umm..hello...DICTATOR. It just makes me nuts, you know?