War Is Personal: Tomas Young/Age 26/Kansas City, Missouri

[NMMNG]

This is from The Nation magazine's new Photo Nation series.


Their house, a suburban ranch with a wheelchair ramp running up to the front door, was, as far as I could see, the only one on the street flying an American flag. It had to be Brie, not her rebellious and haunted husband of seven months, who was responsible for this. It had been Brie who put Tomas's Purple Heart on display in a corner of their living room.

snip

Struggling to sit upright, Tomas began forcing his thin, angular body as far forward and backward as he could. "Here I am wanting a conversation," he said, "and it's not working for me. I'm feeling kind of dizzy and thinking it must be the meds." Tomas recalled that the night before he'd taken a prescribed dose of Valium, along with his regimen of pain pills, antianxiety pills, antispasmodic pills and laxatives, only to awaken earlier than usual. At that time he took his morning dosages of morphine and Wellbutrin, and a half-dozen other drugs, before falling back to sleep. When Brie woke to remind him to take his morning pills, he forgot, in the confusion from a troubled sleep, that he already had. He'd "doubled up." Then again, maybe he hadn't.







He struggled to explain that ever since his return from Iraq, it's been a kind of magic act for him to stay upright when the only parts of his body that will obey him are his shoulders and his arms. Plus, there are the days when his body is totally uncooperative, the days when he starts "bawling for no real reason."



snip

It was on April 4, 2004, his fourth day in Iraq, that his Army unit was ambushed. The place was the insurgent stronghold of Sadr City. The truck he was riding in, Tomas recalled ruefully, was unarmored and so crammed full of soldiers--twenty-five men in a space meant for eighteen--that he couldn't even point his weapon outside. Bullets began flying everywhere, splintering metal, striking almost everyone, when all of a sudden his whole body went numb and he saw himself dropping his M-16 and being unable to pick it up. There was no pain. It took only a few seconds more for him to realize that the thing that had just happened to him was something he would have to deal with for the rest of his life. He tried screaming for someone to kill him, but all that came out was this tiny whisper.

Full article at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060327/richards

[Stephanie]

1. I can't even read it

I'm already crying.

One a day. Show one of these stories a day, maybe people will understand. If only they could understand the Iraqi losses. But show these - let's see it.

[NMMNG]

2. Indeed

Show it to people and ask them, "Is your oil worth this? Could you look this man in the eye and tell him that his pain and suffering are worth it so you can drive your Hummer?"

[Binka]

5. Ben Is A Miracle Compared To This Guy & I'm Still A Mess

This attack came on the day that Casey Sheehan died 4-4-04, hell it might have been the same attack. This entire mess is so fucking tragic. BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!

[NMMNG]

10. Indeed

Bring them home yesterday!

No more mangled bodies.

No more broken minds.

No more blood for oil.

[atfqn]

14. I don't think we should even ask.

We should just print out the names of the soldiers already KIA on inkjet/laserjet sticker paper and put them up on the gas pumps everytime you fill up. Most people are staring at a pump between 30 to 180 seconds while they fill up anyway - why not give them something to do? It wouldn't solve anything but it wouldn't let people forget either.

[NMMNG]

20. Welcome to DU

And that's not a bad idea. Names, photos, numbers. Anything it will take to get people to realize there is something more than higher prices behind what they're pumping into their vehicles, and what Chimpy is hawking over in Iraq. There are dead soldiers.

[Old and In the Way]

3. This has got to stop.

K/R

[The Straight Story]

4. And this war, his sacrifice, has done what to help us?

I commend this young man for serving his country. He did his job - sadly it was a job that DID NOT NEED TO BE DONE.

And I ask myself - could we have done more to stop this? And - do we want people (ie dems) in power who enabled this war?

[jbnow]

6. Tomas is one of so many

whose life is forever changed...and war does that.
That's why war must only be considered when it must be. Not when you just want something that fits your greedy agenda (or your delusions)

I can't get the rest of the article, says subscribers only. But the best to Tomas

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. This should be required reading

for every Bush supporter with ribbons decals all over their cars. Support the troops my ass. Every Bushbot should have to go out and volunteer a few days working with guys like this, then let's see how much they support BushCo's illegal war.

[B Calm]

8. I read that we have over 10,000 soldiers coming back screwed up

This stupid war will cost the tax payers for many years to come..

[NMMNG]

9. The taxpayers

The soldiers, their families, their friends..... :-(

[w8liftinglady]

16. more like 30-40,000.my son is one of them

is home on leave(his first leave in 18 months).something has changed.there is no soul in his eyes.he used to laugh,and loved playing with his brothers.now he drinks,smokes,and sleeps.he makes references to killing people,but he is a tank mechanic.he showed me pictures of tanks and humvees blown up,with the blood of soldiers still on them.He was injured,and taken out of iraq,and is healing,but there are wounds there that you can't see.He flew home with one of his comrades that was medically discharged for ptsd.There were 9 kids discharged for ptsd in that unit.what are we doing over there.It destroys me.

[jbnow]

17. I'm so sorry

I often think of "If it was my child there..."

You hope with every fiber of your being that they aren't killed or badly wounded. But in your gut you also know that even if they come home physically whole they will be seeing things you wish they never would, souls are wounded in ways we can't see, as you note.

Time and talk can help your son (hope he doesn't go back). I heard that the most effective treatment for PTSD is group therapy where other guys going through the same thing are a part of it. I hope the kids get that and find some peace and wholeness. I know you are saying it's his friends who've been released for it and not your son, but clearly your son is hurting.

My heart goes out to you, all the loved ones, all the kids. (Well big kids, but as parents they are forever our kids, their 4 year old faces on these big bodies)

I can't help with these words, just wanted to say I am sorry.

[w8liftinglady]

18. Thanks...I just needed to unload :)

..and you did help..

[NMMNG]

21. Something the chickenhawks don't get

They beat their chests about patriotism and "defending your country", but none of them are signing on. None of them know what it's like to be over there, under fire, killing and potentially being killed. Seeing death and destruction day after day. They think it's all one big game of rah-rah and glory. That's why they (and their Republican friends) have so little regard for the veterans who come home mentally and physically broken, in need of care. That's why the services provided to veterans are so inadequate.

I'm sorry for what your son and his fellow soldiers went through. They should never have suffered what they did. This war never should have happened, and never would have had an honest man been in office.

:hug:

[Maine-ah]

11. too bad it's a paid subscription in order to read the rest

because I would like to.

[Divernan]

12. Powerful. Recommended for greatest

[mike_c]

13. wasted....

eom

[ArbustoBuster]

15. This needs to be on the network news

Three minutes of every evening news broadcast, every day. A new injured solder. Every day. All the networks. And no bullshit intro slate saying "Tribute to the Heroes," either. It should be called something straightforward like "How They're Suffering" and it shouldn't flinch from the reality of what these men and women will have to live with for the rest of their lives because Dubya wanted to play king of Iraq.

The war would be over in a month.

[w8liftinglady]

19. kick