Rescue operation aims to save a wounded warrior

Los Angeles Times ^ | November 11, 2007 | Luis Sinco, Times Staff Photographer

[nsmart]

Despite concerns of overstepping, Times photographer Luis Sinco feels compelled to help the Iraq vet he made famous.

[nsmart]

Post Traumatic Stress and the current life of the Marlboro Marine. Be sure to watch all three videos.

[SERKIT]

Very well done. If politicians the likes of Harry Reid keep up with their language of “cut and run”, you can see the emotional impact on the guys who were there. To honor guys like Blake, we need to hanging in there and complete the job. I only hope that the “sane” Iraqis can truly build a productive country as that would honor our guys best.

[George W. Bush]

We all cheered him then. But who cares about him now as he faces post-service problems?

I think that supporting the troops mean caring about them later as well as providing the best weaponry and medical care to those on active-duty. We do very well in the latest prosthetics and providing outstanding lifesaving care to those who are serving. But this case underlines some lacks in the care of souls wounded by war.

How important is advocacy for the care of our servicemen in the current GOP race? Shouldn't supporting the troops include caring for them in civilian life?

Links to 5 different stories by LAT on Marlboro Marine and some videos: Los Angeles Times - Marlboro Marine

[nsmart]

He is no longer in therapy. He is divorced and running with a biker group — a pseudo military existence for him. Is that really a full life for him like his wife and kids could have given him?

[B4Ranch]

> But who cares about him now as he faces post-service problems?<

Support the VFW and AMVets. Us Vets care about each other.

[STARWISE]

I hope he wants all the help that’s been offered
and that’s available to him. God bless this young
hero .. may he find peace. We can never repay him
and all those who sacrifice so much for US.

[boxerblues]

My son come back from his first tour in Iraq with a mild case of PTSD, you cannot help someone who does not want to be helped or feel that they cannot be helped. He is still in the Army and will not reach out for help as there is still a stigmatism attached to atmitting to having PTSD.

I love him dearly and he knows that I will always be there for him, instead he chooses to be self destructive and do things that are totally out of character for him.

[George W. Bush]

Thanks for sharing about your son, boxerblues. Yes, people have to be willing to work through their problems and accept some help. And sometimes it takes time for scars to heal. My point is that we should recognize the human cost of these wars and the need to provide at least the opportunity for our vets and active-duty to seek help. It's a lesson we should have learned thoroughly after the tragic lives of so many Vietnam vets who comprise a sizable portion of the homeless in this country.

Supporting the troops is also caring for the troops after they've served. I greatly admire the VFW for their longstanding advocacy for veteran care.

[fishergirl]

Our son still has nightmares, although he rarely admits this to me. He only talks about certain things with his friends who were in Iraq with him. God bless your sons for their service!

[boxerblues]

There have been great strides in getting treatments programs setup and running for returning vets. For those who attend it can save their lives, but some like my son refuse to see themselves as being “mental cases”, I can only hope and pray that someday he will accept the help he needs.

[Smogger]

bump

[boxerblues]

In time he will talk to you, for now he will talk with those who have been though exactly what he has. We sat up many nights with my son listening to him after one of his nightmares. After he went back to his unit he lost that ability to talk to anyone about what he was feeling as he was afraid of being seen as weak, everything got bottled up inside.

[Nephi]

Miller talked about killing the enemy.

“To try to live with that . . . how do you justify it, regardless of what your causes are or what their causes are?” he said.

“To see somebody in your sights and to pull that trigger, it’s almost like you’re with them, seeing their life flash before their eyes as well as taking it. It’s an insane connection that you make with that person at that point.”

[George W. Bush]

I guess it was fine for us to use this soldier for cheerleading during the Iraq invasion. But now, it can't be left in Breaking News because it reminds that that story has some unhappy endings. The Sunday Morning Talk Shows thread and the dead week-old threads there are more important.

Of course, the mods have every right to organize the material as they see fit. The choices are interesting though.

[nsmart]

Hopefully he finds himself.

[nsmart]

I’m pretty ignorant as to classifying these posts. Sorry if I messed up.

Yeah.. when his face was that of a rough, tough guy, it was useful but now its the face of war’s impact on the individual.

If he were fighting here against invaders or making strikes at an organization that had killed americans, it might be different. He was sent to invade a sovereign nation and then almost level a city —

[billbears]

I guess it was fine for us to use this soldier for cheerleading during the Iraq invasion

Well of course. Sad really. I watched this last night. I wonder if those that come back with wounds we can't see will outnumber the thousands of wounded that are home with wounds we can see? I think he said it best

“To try to live with that . . . how do you justify it, regardless of what your causes are or what their causes are?”

[George W. Bush]

I've very proud that Ron Paul and John McCain are such strong advocates for veterans. I think that McCain is well-received with vets. And certainly Ron Paul, an Air Force doctor, has always been a strong advocate for our veterans and a sober voice when those who have never served are demanding to place them in harm's way again. It's easy to talk about launching wars and cheer the troops as they go to battle, strong and brave. It's a lot harder to discuss the real-life hardships so many vets face as a result of their military service and their wounds, both physical and emotional.

It seems this thread is destined to receive about 1/1000th the interest in this particular soldier as the original posts that cheered and celebrated him back during the Iraq invasion did. That says something, I think.

[nsmart]

I agree .. The poor guy is suffering.

[arthurus]

I tried to join VFW once but after 6 months they could not get my name right and kept screwing up my SS number so they never could prove to their satisfaction that I had been to Viet Nam.
I did join American Legion, though. Their heads seem to be attached at the proper ends of their bodies.