Stories from the Front

I recently came upon a site that caught my attention, since it is the first-person stories of soldiers on the front. You might check out Operation Truth in your spare time.

One of the more recent stories "Hidden Casulaties" by Rob Timmins expresses clearly the "shock and horror" the conflict has presented to the troops. Expecting a stand-up fight with men willing to fight and die for their leader, country or religion, Timmins relates this disturbing encounter with death:

"Upon searching the bedroom of one apartment I came across the body of a girl who must have been no more than ten or eleven years old. The flies and stench of her decomposing body was overwhelming. Battered and bound her skin bore no resemblance to the playful young girl she must have been. Such a stark contrast the color of her skin was to the vibrant colors of her dress. At first I wanted to just run away. I had prepared myself as best I could mentally for the sight of dead bodies. Yet I didn't take into account that I would see more than just Iraqi men fighting for their causes."

While the military is aware of this aspect of warfare, I am always surprised how unprepared our troops are to encounter it. Being unprepared makes the trauma even greater. Timmins continues with this observation:

"There are more American Casualties than the more than 1,500 dead American Soldiers and Marines, or the countless thousands that have been maimed or have severe physical traumas. The Hidden casualites are some of the most difficult to treat and are some of the least understood by the military and civilian health personnel, the chain of command both military or civilian, the Americian public, and most importantly, the Affected Soldiers and their families."

The problems of returning soldiers to civilization is as old as warfare itself. It would seem that somewhere along the way we would have created a supportive and safe way to help the transition. Actually we have, but it's not part of our "modern" culture. Unless we expand our horizons and stop thinking of ancient wisdom as irrelevant, we will continue to condemn our future to the ongoing nightmare.