(Guest blogged by Logan Murphy)
As the regulars here at C&L know, I have tried to cover stories that shed light on the human cost of the Iraq occupation, so when I found this piece by Stacy Bannerman from Military Families Speak Out, I felt particularly moved to share it. Her writing paints a detailed and heartbreaking portrait of how her marriage to a soldier fell apart after he returned home from Iraq and began waging a second battle -- with PTSD .
It is the soldiers, their families, and the people of Iraq that pay the human costs. The tab so far: more than 3,000 dead U.S. troops, tens of thousands of wounded, over half a million Iraqi casualties, roughly 250,000 American servicemen and women struggling with PTSD, and almost 60,000 military marriages that have been broken by this war. Read more...
It's my strong belief that we, as informed, compassionate and active citizens must continue to give a human face to the suffering and sacrifices being made by our brave soldiers and their families. Yellow ribbons won't cut it, we need to do more. Besides contacting your representatives and demanding an end to the bloodshed, you can go to a local VA hospital if there's one nearby and volunteer your time. If you want to do something now, you can donate to Operation Helmet and help provide a helmet upgrade kit for a soldier in the Iraq. Here are a few active-duty and veteran resources. If you guys know any more, please share them in comments.
