Posted on 10/24/2007 1:21:00 PM PDT by do the dhue
On Thursday when I was at the hospital one of the patients that I worked with was a young Iraqi boy. He had been shot through the leg, just below the knee. After a week of unsuccessful attempts to save his leg, they amputated about 4 inches below the knee. Four days later and still fighting an infection, they took some more, leaving him with a stump about four inches above the knee. I guessed that he was 7 or 8, he was smaller than Jack, but he looked and acted mature.
Anyhow, when the surgeon was showing him how to use the crutches, his mother was sitting there. He talked to her, and then to the boy, through the translator that was there. Eventually they got him up and the surgeon grabbed the bottom of his t-shirt and the top of his pants in a ball. Then told him to walk down the hall. I stayed there with his mom and the translator. As they walked away she started to cry, but as they reached the end of the hall, she wiped her tears and put on the biggest smile possible as he turned back towards us. They repeated this several times, and each time that he had his back to us she cried and prayed quietly. She also asked about us getting a "plastic" leg for him? That isn't something that we are capable of doing of here. And she did her best to smile for him when he turned to walk towards us. After several trips he sat down on the end of the bed and started to cry. I assumed that he was tired, sore, and that he realized that he probably wasn't going to get a prosthetic here. It was a sad sight. I ended up moving on to the heli-pad and didn't see them again that night.
So today as I walked to work I ran into the surgeon. We talked a little bit and I asked him about that boy, and about the "plastic" leg. He told me that there are places here that do that, but the chances of his family being able to afford one were minimal. So that was pretty sad. But then he asked me "How old do you think that boy is?" I guessed 7 or 8, and told him about the size comparison to Jack and he laughed a little. He said "He is 13 years old, that's what a lifetime of malnourishment will do for you." And he told me to remember that when people try to convince me that we shouldn't be here. Remember that when people say that we should just walk away from this, especially after so much sacrifice. And he lived this life of malnourishment under a tyrannical dictator that killed those that disagreed with him. And he lived his life not having enough food to eat while sadham hussein built another palace.
So have we done everything right and has this been an easy task? Obviously not. Have we made mistakes, and miscalculations? Obviously we have. But we have given these people the one thing that most of them never had, we have given them Freedom, and hope in the future. And we have held at bay the terrorists, the ones that travel here to fight and the ones still trying to reclaim their dominion over the people of Iraq. And I'd come back here a thousand times to keep one more terrorist out of my Country.
Have a great day, try to take a moment to be thankful for all that we have to enjoy and cherish it.
Keep your resolve and count your blessing. I am thankful that we have Troops who are willing to stand for freedom.
For folks I know, I changed the name to protect the innocent.
Right on. And I have seen slums here that make the US's worst slums look pleasant. This is also largely due to Saddam and the deprivation put on people under his regime.
I wish we knew more about that boy. I wouldn't mind taking up a collection at the FOB where I work to get him that "plastic" leg.
I wish we knew more about that boy. I wouldn’t mind taking up a collection at the FOB where I work to get him that “plastic” leg.
When you have something legit set up to get the boy his “plastic” leg, count me in for fifty bucks.
Thank you.
I can’t find the words... lot of emotion in your story. I’ll share it with my children .
God bless you, American Troops and President Bush.
Thanks for sharing, and God Bless Our Troops!
The email was sent directly to me. I can ask questions and see what we can do. FReepmail me if you are serious.
Thanks for the post.
Amen
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My hope is that the Iraqi people will see that a hope and a future belongs to the Iraqi Government and the Coalition. I think when the terrorist and Iran kill Iraqi people, it has to hurt their cause and help ours.
What does not help is having the terrorist stand behind the Iraqi people and tell them that we won't be there forever and they will. And terrorist tell the people that they will pay if they help the US. And it does not help having our Congressmen saying we lost the war and we need to pull out.
We are trying to build a hope and a future for these people, while others are trying to destroy it. It is a crying shame. We debated the war before we went (remember, I voted for it before I voted against it?). We will have plenty of time to debate it when it is over. During the war, I think it is a good idea to show your new friends that your Troops have made, your Troops, and your enemy a lot of resolve. I don't know why others don't get it?
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thanks, bfl
Great post! Tell him thanks so much for his service to our country!
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