Burned, blinded or sparring with death: The wounds of war

[JoFerret]

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-wohosp0927,0,2725197.story?coll=ny-world-big-pix

"George Bush is an idiot"

LANDSTUHL, Germany -- The medical team that accompanied the soldier on the Thursday morning flight from Iraq had worked the whole way to keep him alive, his body burned and lacerated by the fire and metal of a roadside bomb.

....

It was an average morning at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, which has become the American military's museum of pain and maiming, doubt and anger. The planes from Iraq land every day, sometimes two or three of them.

Like his staff, who brim with frustration at what they see as the irresponsible disinclination of the American people to understand the costs of the war to thousands of American soldiers, the hospital's chief surgeon feels that most Americans have their minds on other things.
....

Nowhere is it less possible to escape the horrors of the war in Iraq for American soldiers than Landstuhl.....
....
Maybe it was the stress, maybe it's because Hecker has no military career to mess up by speaking out of line, but it just came out: "George Bush is an idiot," he said, quickly saying he regretted the comment. But then he continued, criticizing Bush as a rich kid who hasn't seen enough of the world. "He's very rich, you'd think he'd get some education," Hecker said.

"He's my president. I'll follow him in what he wants to do," he continued, "but I'm here for him." Hecker leaned forward and pointed through the glass at the unconscious soldier fighting for his life 2 yards away.

'It's just not right'

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[SheilaT]

1. The American people

will never understand the costs of war until those costs are made crystal clear to them. They need to see the terribly wounded and maimed soldiers every day. They need to see the families devastated by the loss of loved ones. And this is only referring to American families and their soldiers, not even the Iraqi losses.

And I see nothing wrong with criticizing a leader who has led his people into a mess. The office of the presidency deserves respect. But if the man holding that office does not live up to the responsibilities of it, he does not deserve respect.

[Roy]

2. Barbara Bush disagees........

Dead bodies, maimed, wounded soldiers, are not for beautiful minds.

[izzie]

3. That is so sad.

What are we doing? Don't we ever learn?

[JoFerret]

4. Some numbers from the article

Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 18,000 military personnel have passed through the hospital from what staff refer to as "down range": Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, nearly 16,000 have come from Iraq.

Last month, 23 percent of those were casualties from combat, slightly higher than most months; the rest had either accidental or disease-related complaints.

Thirteen have died at the hospital.

Each day, an average of 30 to 35 patients arrive on flights from Iraq. The most on a single day was 168.

More than 200 personnel have come in with either lost eyes or eye injuries that could result in sight loss or blindness.

About 160 soldiers have had limbs amputated, most of them passing through the hospital on their way home to more surgery.

And it's not just their bodies that come in needing fixing. More than 1,400 physically fit personnel have been admitted with mental health problems.

[kestrel91316]

5. I am reminded of a song we used to sing as children.....................

not knowing its full implications. At the time, I was unaware of our involvement in a war called Vietnam, where my father would eventually fly and earn many medals. We sang it because we liked the music and the words were easy to remember.

Where have all the flowers gone
Long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone
Long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
They've gone to young girls every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone
Long time passing?
Where have all the young girls gone
Long time ago?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone to young men every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone
Long time passing?
Where have all the young men gone
Long time ago?
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone
Long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone
Long time ago?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone
Long time passing?
Where have all the graveyards gone
Long time ago?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?


They say that those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. When will WE ever learn?

This war, entered into for the sake of a lie, and a man's hubris/ego/desire for petty vengeance, will scar not only thousands of soldiers both male and female. It will maim us, too. We have a duty to do everything within our power to bring this evil nonsense to an end. War is nothing if not an admission of utter failure.

[ewagner]

7. Very appropriate for this story

Thanks for posting.

When we (me and my friends ) sang that song, we were in our teens and measuring the cost of another senseless, wasteful war driven by men who were obsessed with ideologies and no common sense.......

doomed to repeat history? Yes. The trouble is, bush* never learned that history.

[Zorra]

6. "He's my president. I'll follow him in what he wants to do," he continued,

It makes me wonder - if Hitler was his president, would he follow him in what he wants to do?

(Besides that, Bu$h really is not the president. Why do people call him that, I wonder?)

IMO, if a leader is an evil POS, you don't listen to her or him, and you don't do what they want to do.

People really need to start thinking for themselves and living according to their conscience, not according to what killers and war profiteers want them to do.