My conversation with an Iraq war veteran

[mnmoderatedem]

And apologies in advance for redundancy. Nothing here will come as a surprise to anyone.

My friend was part of the Minnesota unit that served the longest (23 months) of any unit in Iraq. Extensions just kept coming and coming. Finally got home a couple of months ago. This is an individual who occasionally found time to email me from the war zone, and asked how my elderly mother is doing, if you can imagine that. Fortunately he came home in one piece, though had a close call with a roadsode bomb that lifted him off his feet and landed him in a ditch, with an injured shoulder and ankle. Other than that, not worse for wear, at least physically.

My first question was what was his overall impression of how things are going over there. His response - "everything the president is saying is a lie. We are losing this war."

Like I said, nothing surprising.

Kept relaying stories, and showing pictures on his laptop, of his time he spent volunteering in the children's hospital when he was not on duty, and spending time with wounded children. One in particular was gut whrenching beyond words. A little baby Iraqi girl was in the hospital with schrapnel in her head and back. A roadsode bomb had killed her mother, father, and siblings. The deceased mother was found sheltering the baby from harm, saving her life. As of his departure, they had been unable to locate any next of kin for the child. Couldn't help thinking of my friend volunteering his off duty time for situations like that, realizing that such a top notch individual is stuck risking life and limb for such a fuck up president. But I digress.

I asked him about the situation when the government is denying that particular unit, the unit that served 23 freaking months in hell, the benefit money for higher education purposes, i.e. they brought them back just shy of the 24 month period where they were to receive the additional benefits; some particular members of the unit were just ONE DAY shy of qualifying. As he had no real plans for going back to school, he wasn't real worked up over it, but did sheepishly smile and nod when I pointed out how, "support the troops" seems to apply to catch phrases and photo ops, then when it realy comes down to it, screw 'em.

Anyway, that's about all I can remember. Just glad my friend is back with his wife and two little girls...

[seabeyond]

1. thanks for sharing. appreciate it. n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I'm glad he's back too! Hope he'll consider crossing the border to prevent another

call-up in this 'endless' mess.

[Cary]

3. Phony soldiers indeed.

I don't understand how they are getting away with this.