Lost friend back
 

A friend of mine just got back from the war in Iraq. I had no idea he was sent over there. I had lost contact with him a long time ago. He's gone through a lot and is totally fucked up from the experience. He could barely talk to me about it. I'm glad he wasn't killed in the line of duty. It's going to take him a while to recover. Fuck war, fuck you George Bush. People shouldn't have to go through what he went through.

Anybody I know that had been in the military and participated in war, recent or from way back is fucked in the head.

Its really sad.
My stepfather was in veitnam, ground troops, and he still has nightmares about it. And you dont touch him while he asleep, he'll jump up and knock you down. He is really touchy about it, and thats been thirty years ago.

I guess that's why they say war is hell. It's a shame to have an experience like that ever.

"There's a condition in combat. Most people know about it. It's when a fighting person's nervous system has been stressed to it's absolute peak and maximum, can't take any more input. The nervous system has either snapped or is about to snap. In the first world war that condition was called shell shock. Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables. Shell shock. Almost sounds like the guns themselves. That was 70 years ago. Then a whole generation went by. And the second world war came along and the very same combat condition was called battle fatigue. Four syllables now. Takes a little longer to say. Doesn't seem to be as hard to say. Fatigue is a nicer word than shock. Shell shock...battle fatigue.

Then we had the war in Korea in 1950. Madison Avenue was riding high by that time. And the very same combat condition was called Operational Exhaustion. Hey we're up to 8 syllables now! And the humanity has been squeezed completely out of the phrase now. It's totally sterile now. Operational Exhaustion: sounds like something that might happen to your car. Then of course came the war in Vietnam, which has only been over for about 16 or 17 years. And thanks to the lies and deceit surrounding that war, I guess it's no surprise that the very same condition was called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Still 8 syllables, but we've added a hyphen. And the pain is completely buried under jargon. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

I bet you, if we'd still been calling it shell shock, some of those Vietnam veterans might have gotten the attention they needed at the time. I bet you that.

But it didn't happen. And one of the reasons is because we were using that soft language, that language that takes out the life out of life. And it is a function of time it does keep getting worse. "

-George Carlin

Why was Colin Powell the only ranking member of the Bush cabinet to push so hard for a diplomatic solution? He was the only one that had seen combat. If any of the chicken-hawks (Bush, Cheney, Rummy, Rice, Wolfowitz, etc) had ever been in combat, they wouldn't have had such a hard-on for sending in the troops.

Edit- My brother is over there now. Somewhere north of Baghdad. I hope he comes back on one piece. I'm glad your buddy has you for a friend.

I know a few guys like this. My aunt made the mistake of touching my uncle one day has he was sleeping on the couch and found herself in a chokehold. She said it took him a second to realize where he was and what he was doing. He stopped just short of her blacking out.

A friend's father won't even talk about it. He'll talk about the military, but mention Vietnam and he tells you that he doesn't like to discuss it and starts to tear up.

Sad scary shit :( I can't imagine the shit that's floating around in these guys' heads. Images and such that you can't turn off and ignore. I cannot possibly imagine.

Sorry to hear about your friend's condition. Glad to hear he was able to make it home though.

My wife's grandfather was in WWII and he talks about all the cool scenary he saw but never mentions the fighting. He saw action but never talks about it, at least I've never heard him talk about it.

My grandfather was the same way. Somehow I just knew better than to ask him about it.

Unless you have been there, it is impossible for a civilian to understand what these and soldiers of the past have gone though. Just be thankful that they are there, willing to do what they do, to protect your freedoms and your way of life.

I am glad that your friend is back and in one piece. I hope we treat our veterans of this war better than the way our nation has treated vets from previous wars.

I was wondering.....do other countries like Iraq, Iran, and other battle hardened countries have soldiers who experience the same type of post war stress as the U.S.? I think our soldiers get it because the U.S. tends to be a more humanitarian, more peaceful, more "let's all just get along" kind of country. Whereas, men in Iraq and other countries of the like, have been at war their entire lives. They have more images of blood, gore, death, and poverty in the past 10 years than U.S. soldiers have seen in the past century. Just a thought.....

man i hope none of the people i love have to go through shit like that

Wow, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. But like others have said, its good that he's made it back at all. Hopefully with time, he can recover and find some peace again.

There isn't one thing that any person in this country can do that is more valiant and honorable than serving this country in War. Whether the force is neccessary or not, the need for courageous people to stand up for our Freedom, and freedom in the world can often leave them feeling empty upon return.

Tell your friend thank you for me. Let him know that someone he has never met owes him his life, and freedom thanks to his actions.

Interesting thread going here ppl...I just had a conversation with a buddy of mine on msn msgr about a similar topic.

[my friend]: It was a pretty cool experience. I ever tell ya about taking my daughter to the travelling vietnam memorial wall when it came through Bellevue.
[me]: no...
[my friend]: Some guy having a 'moment' with his buddy. My daughter (about 2 at the time) got loose from me and ran over to him and gave him a big ol' hug. I guess she thought he needed it. He looks around and motions at me like, "Is it OK to pick her up?" I nodded that it was....
[my friend]: So he picks her up and I got no idea what he said but she reached out and touched the wall where he pointed and this big ol' burly guy just cried and cried and cried and held her like she meant the world. When he finally put her down he says to me, "She just did what all the Psychs and Doctors haven't been able to do in 30 years. I just said goodbye to my buddy...."

War can do some cruel things to the minds of those in it.

My father was a 50caliber helicopter machine-gunner in Vietnam. I know he was largely affected by the war, however he's open to talk about it and answer questions. I think it's all relative. I feel for your friend though and give him and all his friends sympathy. War is a terrible thing either way.

my 2 nephews and enlisted, one of them is over there now, the other got pneumonia and didnt get shipped off.. i could kick there asses for joining with all this shit going on

War is a tragedy for a reason.
Lasting peace is so far in the distance though.
Good luck to your friend, and to you in helping him through the pain and back into "normal" life.


Stupidity or young impressionability? Propaganda works well on both. Hopefully more will seek peace before "peace-keeping" and leave weapons in their place.

my best friend is in Iraq right now.. i hope he'll be all right

thanks to all the men who have fought to keep the freedoms we have in this world...

How 'bout the women?

Thank you for this moment you shared...